WELCOME TO A MEETING

OF YOUR SCHOOLBOARD

Thank you for your interest in attending a Creswell School Board meeting. As elected representatives, we are interested in your concerns and opinions.

Hopefully, this information will assist you during your visit. Please review the procedure for public comment in this pamphlet if you are interested in addressing the Board. If you are here just to listen and learn, that’s great!

School Board Meetings

The Board meets on the second Wednesday of each month in regular session at 7:00 p.m. It is important that you arrive prior to that time so you can sign-in and be seated.

School Board meetings are “meetings held in public”, as opposed to public meetings. To assure accountability, meetings are held open for public observation. This is different than a “town-hall meeting” where everyone present has an active role in the meeting.

Occasionally, the Board may discuss issues in Executive Session that are closed to the public. Items the Board may discuss in these meetings include: personnel matters, collective bargaining strategies, property purchases, discussions with legal counsel, students’ confidential records, and expulsion hearings.

Signing In

All visitors are asked to sign-in prior to the meeting. On this paper you will be asked if you wish to address the Board; if so, you will need to indicate the general issue you want to discuss.

What’s On The Agenda?

Agendas for the meetings are available upon entering the room. This agenda is set one week in advance and publicly available at the District Office two days before each Board meeting. The Board rarely deviates from the agenda once it has been approved.

Because the Board (elected to represent the public) is mandated to make decisions about complex issues, they each receive a packet of background information prior to the meeting.

The Board has an obligation to justify their decisions or votes and discussion often follows the motion for action. Normally the Superintendent, or the Chair, will summarize the topic and provide any relevant or pertinent information for the public. The public has the option of requesting clarification from the Chair.

How To Be Heard

If you wish to speak during the meeting, please indicate so when signing in. Comments on items not on the agenda may be presented during “Recognition of Visitors”, at the beginning of the meeting. If you wish to comment on an agenda item, the Board Chair will call on you at the appropriate time. Try to keep your testimony under three minutes.

When Addressing The Board…

If possible, put your concern or question in writing and give it to the Superintendent, or Board Chair, at least 10 days prior to the Board meeting. Even if you can’t provide information in writing, it is helpful to notify the Superintendent or Board Chair of your issue as soon as possible.

Board Response

Not all questions and concerns can be addressed at a Board meeting. Either the necessary procedures have not been followed, or the Board does not have all the information required to entertain a discussion. By giving advanced notice of your concern to the Superintendent or Board Chair it is more likely that whoever should take ownership of the issue has the time and direction to gather the necessary data for the Board.

It is unlikely that the Board will take action on an item at its first meeting regarding the issue unless it is an extreme emergency. Action items are posted publicly and more information is gathered. Most issues are typically resolved at the next meeting of the Board.

Personnel Issues

It is important to understand that personnel issues are dealt with through the district’s complaint form. The Board will not consider those discussions. Contact the District Office for the appropriate mechanisms to deal with those concerns.

What Does The School Board Do?

The Creswell School District is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors elected by the district’s registered voters. The Board is authorized to:

· Establish policies that direct the school district;

· Employ and evaluate the Superintendent;

· Negotiate with employee groups to determine salaries and benefits

· Approve the annual budget;

· Authorize elections on tax levies, bond proposals, and other issues;

· Determine the long-range direction of the district; and

· Communicate with the community

Who Can Be A Board Member?

The seven Board members are elected from the district to serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that no more than four positions become vacant in the same year.

To be eligible for election, a person must be a qualified voter and reside in the district for one year immediately preceding the election. Members of the Board serve without pay. Terms of office begin and end with the district’s fiscal year, July 1 – June 30. Officers of the Board are elected annually at the first regular meeting.

Other Ways To Participate

In Your District

There are many ways you can become involved in your schools.

As a Volunteer –

From working with students in the classroom to helping in the school business offices, there is a myriad of ways you can help. Please contact the District Office or the school in which you would like to volunteer.

As a Member of a Special Committee –

Occasionally, the Board appoints special advisory committees during the year to investigate areas of concern. If you would like to serve on a special committee, please leave your name with the District Office.

As a Member of a Standing Committee –

Community members serve on the District’s Curriculum, Finance, Public Relations, and Technology Committees as well as the school Site Councils and PTA. Please contact the District Office for more information.

As a Member of the District’s Key Communicators’ Network –