Clifton school trustees review activity calendar, board's operating procedures

The Clifton Independent School District's Board of Trustees convened on Monday, June 17, 2024, to discuss key organizational items, including the annual board activity calendar and the board’s operating procedures.

The meeting, held in the boardroom at the Clifton Middle School, aimed to ensure smooth planning and governance for the upcoming school year.

Activity calendar review

Superintendent Andy Ball led the review of the board activity calendar, emphasizing its tentative nature and the flexibility required throughout the year.

'We did this last year as a review and added things later on,' he noted, highlighting that while the calendar is available on the district’s website, it is not set in stone.

Ball reminded the board that changes are possible and encouraged members to suggest any necessary adjustments.

The activity calendar outlines the district’s key actions and events on a month-by-month basis.

'This gives you an idea and gives other people an idea of what the action items are for each month or discussion items and what events may take place,' Ball explained.

The superintendent urged board trustees to review the calendar thoroughly and provide feedback to CISD Board of Trustees President Julie New ahead of next month’s adoption.

Operating procedures under scrutiny

Following the calendar review, the board turned its attention to the operating procedures, whichguidehowboardactivitiesareconducted.

Ball reminded the board that these procedures are typically reviewed each April. However, this year’s review was postponed to accommodate potential changes following recent board elections.

'There's no wording changes in there that may have been discussed last month,' Ball stated, referring to discussions from previous meetings. The operating procedures document includes a condensed version for quick reference and an appendix with more detailed information.

Board President New suggested leveraging upcoming training sessions to thoroughly examine and potentially revise the operating procedures.

'We have the data training... and we also potentially have to look at re-changing the district goals,' she said.

New proposed that including first and second readings of policy changes and updates in the operating procedures could facilitate better discussion and adherence to guidelines.

Decision to postpone adoption

Given the ongoing training and potential for further input, Board Trustee Josh Ritzman moved to postpone the adoption of the revised operating procedures until after the scheduled board member training. The motion, seconded by Trustee Heather Willmann, was approved.

Board trusteesAlex Montes and Jan Zuehlke were absent from the board's June meeting.

'We had some good discussions on that,' New concluded, indicating that this period would be ideal for refining the procedures with insights from upcoming training and external guidance from Region 12.

The next Clifton ISD School Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 22, 2024, at 6 p.m.The meeting will be held in the boardroom at Clifton Middle School located at 1102 Key Avenue in Clifton