Policy committee advances draft code of conduct and related bylaws, agrees to research attendance language

The Waller Public Schools Policy Committee met June 9, 2026, and reviewed a suite of proposed bylaws intended to update board operations language last revised during the 2021–22 policy overhaul. Mrs. Lator presented the drafts and said the code of conduct (bylaw 9272) blends CABE and Shipman model text and adds a “conduct on data use” section to guide how the board requests and uses information for decision-making.

Why it matters: Committee members said clearer bylaws would help future chairs and boards manage expectations and avoid confusion about individual authority. Board member Tesseretti asked whether the bylaws should explicitly state attendance expectations so chairs can point to a written standard if a member stops attending meetings. Mrs. Lator said she would research whether existing bylaws already address attendance and bring findings back to the committee.

On conflicts and 'personal gain': Dr. Reed asked whether the draft language barring actions "for personal gain" is specific enough to be actionable. Several members said the phrase is intended to capture financial, professional or status-related gains and that overly prescriptive language can miss unforeseen scenarios; Dr. Rasco urged retaining broader wording to allow the board flexibility to address varied situations.

The committee also reviewed limits-of-authority language that stresses "no individual board member has individual authority" and recommended keeping a concise introductory line with the detailed limitations retained further in the text to avoid redundancy.

Next steps: The committee will refine draft wording and return the bylaws for further review at upcoming instructional meetings; the full board will see the items for second reading and placement on the June consent agenda, with additional bylaw work planned in July and August.