By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees held a board workshop, which dealt with training and development to update operating procedures from two years ago.
Among the topics proposed to consider updating at the Tuesday, Aug. 6 workshop inside SBCISD’s John F. Barron Administration Building were: developing board agendas, board agenda format, special committees, public addressing of the board, meeting procedures and information, communications, procedures for patron or employee request or a complaint to an individual board member, general information, executive board room protocol, and review of operating procedures.
Conducted by Esperanza Orosco, who is a fourth-year board development consultant with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), SBCISD trustees made several inquiries about procedures and responsibilities.
“Some will ask, does that mean we always have to agree? Absolutely not, but when the board works together, it can get so much more done,” Orosco said. “And respecting the body corporate is important.”
Orosco said a “body corporate” refers to the school board itself, which is a legal entity with specific powers and duties.
“When making (SBCISD) decisions, you act as a single unit, not as individual members,” she said.
Some of the proposed changes included: trustees could make an agenda request at least seven days (changed from four) before a board meeting; operate using two standing committees (changed from four), administrative and building (not curriculum and finance).
SBCISD was lauded for listing on its agendas specific reasons why it was going into executive session. A regular board meeting agenda was already referencing, for example, employee complaints or student discipline.
Once a draft is completed, it will be presented to SBCISD Attorney Tony Torres, who was at the workshop and provided input.
The proposals would then have to be voted upon during a regular board meeting for final approval.
I am running a few minutes late; my previous meeting is running over.
“This is a time to modify, edit, and do what you need to do with this to make it yours as a board, because operating procedures should be reviewed annually. Once completed, it will be a living, breathing document,” Orosco said.
Orosco is a trustee herself, having served nearly 10 years as a board officer with the Hays Consolidated Independent School District, which is near Austin.
She shared with trustees how three other entities, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISDs (Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex) and Hays CISD, operated with their procedures.
SBCISD trustees received insight from TASB’s Board Officer Institute presentation.
According to TASB, Orosco shared her expertise on topics including team building, goal setting, superintendent evaluation, social contracts, board operating procedures, Robert’s Rules of Order, and implementing employee-friendly policies and initiatives.
She also provided guidance on the role of board officers and how to conduct effective and efficient board meetings.
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