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School to Community Connection |
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Issue 60 District Committees Guide Many Crucial Decisions – Part 1 Some may think that the Board of Trustees and Administrators are responsible for all of the decisions that take place in the District. Yes, ultimately the Board does make the final decisions, but in most cases, there are committees in place that assist us in making those decisions. There are two types of committees - “Standing Committees” that meet on a regular basis, year in and year out and “Temporary Committees” that are set up for a special project. All committees are comprised of a wide variety of stakeholders: teachers, certified staff, administrators, parents, community members and board members. By having a diverse group on a committee, the hope is that all options and views will be considered so that fair and reasonable recommendations can be brought to the Board. Committees provide a means for members of the community to get involved with District business by either participating as a member of a committee, attending the committee meetings to hear what is being discussed or just reading the minutes to see first hand what the committee has been working on. Committee lists, as well as minutes from meetings, are available in the District Office and most are also available on the District website. Two of these committees are currently dealing with some very critical district issues: Budget Resources Committee – This standing committee was established by the Board of Trustees and is directed to attain a knowledge base of school district funding, develop fiscal accountability through involvement of all constituents of the school district community, review budget policy and procedures which support District goals, promote communication and understanding among decision makers, submit budget recommendations to the Superintendent, and identify opportunities for new resources. Members on this committee include: two Board members, three HATA representatives, three CERA representatives, three Administrators, parent representatives from each school site; Superintendent (non-voting member); and the Director of Business Services (non-voting member) who acts as facilitator. The intention is that each representative will share with their group what the committee is discussing and bring back any comments, concerns, and recommendations the group has. Most members serve for a minimum of two years. Meetings are held at least once a month during the school year, with minutes distributed to members and posted on the website within 3 days of meeting. Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings to hear what is being discussed. Configuration Committee – This temporary committee was formed in February, 2003 as a result of the passage of Measure H that provided funds to build a new state of the art elementary school. The District needs to know what the community wants in the way of a school structure before moving ahead with the plans for the new school. The committee’s task is to research school configuration options and their history, site utilization at the current K-8 schools, program offerings, enrollment projections, and neighborhood schools, so that they can make a recommendation to the Board as to what school configuration is needed and wanted in Healdsburg. Members on the Configuration Committee include teachers from each of the elementary schools as well as the Junior High, each of the three elementary school principals, parents, two board members, and the Superintendent. This committee met twice in March, April and May of 2003. In May, 2003 they presented their recommendation to the Board as to how the new school should be configured. They started meeting again in October, 2003 as their new charge is to come up with a recommendation of what our three elementary schools’ configuration should be, which is scheduled to be brought before the board March 3, 2004 I encourage you to take the time to read committee minutes that are available on the website as they are the best source of what is “truly” being discussed in the district. Better yet, come and sit in on a meeting from time to time … it’s an excellent way to hear first hand what is being discussed. Who knows, you may have ideas or comments that you could share with a committee member over coffee that had not been thought of and would be very beneficial to the committee. Next issue: Part 2 – Information about additional committees Written by Lorri Emmerich |
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