El Paso ISD trustees begin overhaul of decade-old board operating procedures, cite SB 12 meeting limits

Trustees of the El Paso ISD met in a Sept. 23 workshop to review a redlined draft of the district’s board operating procedures that, trustees said, have not been formally revised in roughly a decade. The board’s facilitator, Trustee (Speaker 1), said the goal is to finalize language trustees are "okay with" and to codify the updated procedures in October.

The draft and the workshop were shaped by a newly effective state law, SB 12, which Trustee (Speaker 1) said prevents workshops during working hours. "Because of SB 12, we will...have to cut this meeting off at 9," Trustee (Speaker 1) said, noting the board planned to resume the review next Tuesday at 8 a.m. Trustees discussed holding reports and preparatory workshops outside working hours to comply with the law while preserving time for staff and public engagement.

Trustees focused on several substantive changes in the draft. They discussed reverting agenda-submission deadlines to business days — for example, moving to 12 business days for regular-meeting submissions and 10 business days for draft agendas — to avoid conflicts with holidays and school breaks. Trustee (Speaker 1) said staff will update policy language to reflect business-day calculations.

Campus-visit rules drew extended debate. The draft requires trustees to contact campus principals and notify the superintendent or designee before visiting, and to check in and follow safety-security procedures (ID and badge) on arrival. Trustees discussed specifying an advance-notice window (trustees suggested one to two business days) and agreed to explicitly exempt visits when a trustee is present as a parent rather than acting as a board member.

The board discussed limits on using district facilities for trustee-hosted events. Trustee (Speaker 1) and others supported cosponsoring community meetings with the district when appropriate to avoid campaign-use concerns and to keep meetings on-topic; trustees also noted recreation centers, libraries and other public venues as alternative, no-cost meeting sites.

Governance and training items were highlighted. Trustee (Speaker 1) proposed providing trustees a current copy of Robert’s Rules of Order and encouraging formal training; staff and trustees noted TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) offers abbreviated guidance and online modules.

On communications, the draft instructs trustees to route district-related materials to the superintendent’s office (via Ms. Carrasco or Ms. Collins) for distribution to all trustees rather than communicate unilateral positions as representatives of the board. The draft also clarifies that trustees speaking to media do so as individuals and should avoid publicly debating posted agenda items to promote collegial decision-making on the dais.

Trustees reviewed consent-agenda guidance (routine items such as minutes, budget amendments and personnel reports), discussed the handling of executive-session items under Texas Government Code Chapter 551, and considered adding a nod to graduation procedures (one trustee proposed language allowing former trustees to hand diplomas and suggested prepared remarks be provided by the district).

No formal motions or votes were taken during the workshop. Trustee (Speaker 1) said the group made "good progress" and asked trustees to return next Tuesday at 8 a.m. to resolve remaining edits and to move toward codifying the procedures.

The district identified its online "Let's Talk" tool as the public-comment mechanism required by SB 12. Staff agreed to draft specific language on campaign-period limits for trustee-hosted events and to propose final wording on agenda deadlines and notice windows for campus visits before the next workshop.