< Board Operating Procedures Manual

This policy defines the governance principles and primary roles and responsibilities of the Board. It serves as the flagship and guidepost for all other Board policies.

The Board and Board Committees shall always adhere to the following roles and responsibilities:

Individual Board members do not have the authority to act alone and may only represent the will of the Board as a whole, as expressed by the action of a majority of members. The Superintendent has broad authority to do what is necessary to achieve the Board-approved District goals while remaining compliant with all Board policies.

The Board or individual Board members shall not give directions or instructions to persons who report directly or indirectly to the Superintendent. Unless legally required, the Board shall generally not engage in any activities outside of the six (6) roles and responsibilities outlined in this policy. The Board shall conduct self-evaluations, including Student Outcomes-Focused Governance, to determine how effectively and consistently it follows this policy's governance principles.

All of the Board's powers lie in its actions as a public body. A "meeting" is defined as the gathering, in person or through technological devices, of a quorum of members of a public body to discuss, propose or take legal action, including any deliberations with respect to such action that have been properly noticed, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes.

Individual Board members exercise authority over District affairs only by way of votes taken at a legal meeting of the Board. A member has authority only when and to the extent that the Board has delegated such authority by vote.

The duties of the President of the Board shall be as follows:

1. Preside over all meetings and conduct meetings following Arizona law and District policies.

2. Consult with the Superintendent and, on behalf of the Governing Board as a whole, approve items to be placed on the agenda for each meeting.

3. Encourage and maintain orderly and democratic participation.

4. Keep all discussions factual and on the subject at hand.

5. Allow for complete exploration of each item of business.

6. Conduct meetings utilizing the Student Outcomes-Focused Governance framework.

7. Schedule and oversee the Board calendar, which includes policy upkeep, SOFG goals and guardrails, Board and Superintendent Evaluation, and professional development.

The duties of the Vice President shall be as follows.

1. Act in place of the President in meetings and duties when the President is absent.

2. Ensure consistent implementation of Student Outcomes Focused Governance by counting and recording time allocated for SOFG in Board meetings and monitoring Board questions.

3. Support the President in question gathering in preparation for Board meetings and other duties as assigned.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a Governing Board member shall be eligible to vote on any budgetary, personnel, or other question that comes before the Board, except that it shall be unlawful for a member to vote on a specific item that concerns the appointment, employment, or remuneration of such member or any person related to such member as a dependent as defined in A.R.S. § 43-1001.

Any Board member or employee of the District who has, or whose relative has, a substantial interest in any contract, sale, purchase, or service to the District shall make known that interest in the official records of the District and shall refrain from voting upon or otherwise participating in any manner as a Board member or employee in such contract, sale, or purchase.
LEGAL REF.: A.R.S. § 38-503

Any Board member or employee who has, or whose relative has, a substantial interest in any decision of the District shall make known such interest in the official records of the District and shall refrain from participating in any manner as a Board member or employee in such a decision.
LEGAL REF.: A.R.S. § 38-503

"Refrain from participating in any manner" means more than just refraining from making a final decision. It means participating in any way in the process leading up to a decision. An employee with a conflict of interest must not make recommendations, give advice, or otherwise communicate in any manner with anyone involved in the decision-making process.

Board members are encouraged to attend as many school events (e.g., sporting events, fine arts events, community events) as spectators as their time permits. Board members wishing to visit a school in their capacity as Board members shall:

Schedule the visitations through the Superintendent’s office. The Superintendent will check with the principal about the best time to visit, make the necessary arrangements and confirm with the Board member(s).

• Check-in with the principal upon arrival.

• Follow campus guidelines for visitors (sign-in, guest badge, escort, etc.).

• Respect staff time and allow staff to perform their duties.

• Not evaluate staff.

• Not give direction to any staff or students.

• Not accept gifts (other than nominal tokens) or favors from any District employee.

When visiting with teachers of their children or family members, Board members will make it clear that they are acting as parents or family members rather than Board members.

Board members can directly accept invitations to attend school events that they receive in their capacity as Board members. When such an invitation is accepted, Members shall let the Superintendent’s office know before the event so that appropriate postings can be made as needed.

Committee work of the Board shall usually be done by members of the Board sitting as a committee of the whole. The Board shall not establish standing or permanent committees, and there shall be no standing or permanent committees composed of the Board members. If a temporary committee is appointed, it shall serve only for the time needed for its designated purpose. Committee recommendations shall be advisory only.

The Board President will work with the Superintendent to develop board meeting agendas. Board agendas are generally drafted on the Friday following a Tuesday board meeting. The final agendas are confirmed ten days before the board meeting. Meeting and supplemental information is available to Board members in Executive Content in BoardDocs ten days before the meeting. Information and the final agenda for the meeting are made live on the Monday before the meeting (24 hours). Board members are provided background information in preparation for board meetings through board prep meetings and board Memos.

The Board desires to hear the viewpoints of community stakeholders throughout the district and considers the responsible presentation of these viewpoints vital to the district's efficient operation. At a regular Board meeting, individuals signed up to speak may address the Board on agenda or non-agenda items, except for discussions of individual employee or student matters. During public comment, the Board will not answer questions or engage in dialogue with speakers.

When necessary for effective meeting management or to accommodate large numbers of individuals wishing to address the Board, the Board President may adjust public comment time limits per Board policy. The Board President will recognize all speakers, maintain proper order, and adhere to any time limits. To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to address the Governing Board, the President may also set a time limit for individual comments, based generally on the number of comments submitted, as follows:

• 1–15 speakers: 3 minutes

• 16–30 speakers: 2 minutes

• 31+ speakers: 1 minute

Individuals will not be allowed to yield their time to another individual.

Personal attacks upon Board members, staff personnel, or other persons in attendance or absent by individuals who address the Board are discouraged. Upon conclusion of the open call to the public, individual members of the Board may respond to any criticism made by an individual who has addressed the Board.