The school board – file photo
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
The Council Rock School Board is looking to shake up their meetings.
At last week’s school board meeting, Board President Andy Block presented a proposal that would switch full board meetings to one a month.
Under the plan, existing committee meetings would become working sessions that could include “votes when appropriate.” Some items discussed at committee meetings would also feed into the monthly regular board meeting.
Block described the three committee meetings per month as working sessions and “mini-meetings” where specific topics would be discussed and possibly even voted on. Some committee topics might also be stacked to allow two similar subjects to be handled in one night.
“It’s not too far from what we do today,” Block told the public.
Another suggestion would be to improve the efficiency of executive sessions and to utilize conference calls.
District officials said board meetings cost $22,600 between July 2015 and June 2016. The proposed changed are expected to save money and the time of professionals and administrators, Block said.
A presentation stated the board would be given at least a week notice of agendas before the monthly regular board meeting. It also directed board members to focus their commentary on “meaningful items.”
The regular board meeting start time would remain 7 p.m. on the one Thursday a month that it would be held. The format of the meeting would be similar to the current system and a consent agenda would be used more regularly, Block said.
The school board president said he is interested in getting input from board members and feels that setting goals is important. He added that it would also increase the board’s effectiveness.
The board has worked to increase transparency recently and has since live-streamsed and then posted meeting recordings online. The meetings also air live online and meeting minutes are regularly posted on CRSD.org.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Fraser said the administration seems to be in a constant cycle of preparing board meetings and that takes away from “core issues of teaching and learning.”
Board members Kyle McKessy and Jerry Grupp both said the changes could lead to even more meetings.
Mark Byelich, board vice president, stated the change will force efficiencies in school board meetings.
Block said he will work with Fraser and the administration to prepare a detailed plan and schedule. He also plans to address questions from board members in the plan.
“If its not working for us, we’ll take a pause and revisit it,” Fraser said of the proposal.
