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Board agrees to explore a communications committee to improve outreach and clarify district messaging
Summary
Board members discussed forming a communications committee (initially ad hoc) to improve transparency, outreach about the strategic plan and budget, and easier public access to meeting notices and minutes; several members volunteered to research scope and next steps.
Board member Karen proposed creating a standing communications committee to strengthen outreach on the district’s strategic plan, budget and program initiatives. Members debated scope and responsibilities, agreed the superintendent and paid staff (Trent and central office) remain responsible for day‑to‑day communications, and recommended an exploratory ad hoc group to define the board’s role in public messaging.
Karen said community feedback during the recent campaign and from parents showed a gap in the district’s outreach and branding: “we got to step it up in this department,” she said. Board members agreed there are practical early wins—making minutes and meeting notices easier to find, establishing a listserv, and coordinating messaging on surplus/reserve decisions—that would not transfer operational duties away from administration but would clarify what the board will communicate directly.
Volunteers (Joe, Jordan, Mary Key) offered to form an exploratory ad hoc group to research best practices, consult with town communications staff and return recommendations on scope, deliverables and whether to establish a standing committee or other mechanism. The board did not take a binding vote to create a standing committee; the ad hoc group will report back with a recommended charge and draft policy language.
