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Board tables three governance policy changes for review by incoming board
Summary
After hours of discussion, the DeKalb County Board of Education voted unanimously to table three board-policy items on meeting rules and board-staff relations so newly elected members can review them. Some members argued policies should not be finalized by outgoing members.
The DeKalb County Board of Education removed three proposed policy amendments from the consent agenda and voted to table them until the incoming board takes office. The items — revisions to BBFA (local school councils/principal advisory councils), BC (board meetings) and BBI (board-staff relations) — had been forwarded by the policy review committee and were characterized by committee members as efforts to clarify existing language and align policy with current practice.
Several trustees, most prominently Dr. Joyce Morley, objected to completing final votes on those policies at this meeting, saying it was inappropriate for a board with outgoing members to finalize rules that will bind a new body. Dr. Morley described the changes as potentially "personal" and urged that the incoming board be allowed to consider them. Others, including Policy Committee lead Vicky B. Turner and members who served on the committee, said the drafts had been in committee for months and recommended moving them forward.
After discussion the board voted on a motion to table the three ready-for-action policies until the incoming board can review them; the motion carried unanimously. Board leaders said the tabling will allow incoming members to participate in further drafting and to consider engaging professional copyediting to standardize language across policies.
