Committee narrows consent-agenda authority, removes superintendent pull provision

The Waukesha School District Policy and Government Relations Committee approved revisions to Policy 0166.1 (Consent Agenda) that remove language suggesting the superintendent could unilaterally pull items from the board consent agenda and add a 24-hour posting expectation for committee-revised policies.

Dr. Dan Seibert explained the proposed edits were intended to reflect the superintendent’s advisory role. “It would never be my belief that as the superintendent, I would have the right to pull something off of your board agenda,” Seibert said, explaining the district’s existing policy 1210 defines the superintendent’s role as providing professional counsel rather than deliberation and voting.

The edits also address transparency concerns about committee work. Under the new language, policies and bylaws revised by a board committee must be posted at least 24 hours prior to the board meeting so trustees have an opportunity to see changes made in committee. Committee members noted the HR committee often meets shortly before full board meetings and the change is intended to prevent substantive edits from appearing on a consent agenda without clear visibility to all board members.

Committee discussion also focused on avoiding a single-member veto loop. Members clarified that removing an item from the consent agenda will relocate it as an action item for the current meeting and that further deferral should be governed by standard parliamentary procedure rather than a single member’s unilateral decision.

Moved by Trustee Voigt and seconded by Trustee Borowski, the motion to adopt the revised consent-agenda language passed 4-0.