Anyone (Superintendent, School Board member, staff, parent, student, community member, or Board Attorney)

Brings a concern that may necessitate a new policy or a current policy’s revision to the attention of the School Board.

Superintendent

Confers with the Board Attorney as appropriate.

Manages the Board’s compliance with the Open Meetings Act. Ensures that, as appropriate, the agendas for the Board Policy Committee and full Board include discussion and list actions to consider, adopt, implement, or revise Board policies and Board exhibits. 

Manages the process for approving new or revised administrative procedures, administrative procedure exhibits, and changes to employee and student handbooks.

Communicates all policy and administrative procedure revisions or adoptions as appropriate to staff members, parents, students, and community members.

Policy Committee (or Full Board)

First, answers these questions to decide whether new policy language is needed: 

• Does the IASB Policy Reference Manual provide guidance?

• Is the request something that should be covered in policy (i.e., Board work), or is it something that should be covered in an administrative procedure (i.e., staff work)? 

• Is it already covered in Board policy? Checks for policies that cover similar or connected topics. Tools such as search engines, Tables of Contents, cross references, and indexes at PRESS Online can be used to identify relevant policy numbers to check for in the Board's policy manual. 

Second, uses a 3-step process to draft new policy language:

Frames the question and discusses the topic. 

• Requests the Superintendent to provide research, including appropriate data, and input from others, such as those who may be affected by the policy and those who will implement the policy. 

• Drafts or requests the Superintendent or Board Attorney to draft language addressing the concern that aligns with the Board’s mission, vision, goals, and objectives.

Third, decides whether the new language should be included in an existing policy or added as a new policy. Assigns any new policy an appropriate location and number.

The PRESS coding system reserves policy numbers ending in a ‘0’ and ‘5’ for PRESS material. Locally developed Board policies should use policy numbers ending in 2, 4, 6, or 8.

Full Board 

Conducts a first reading of the policy that is recommended for adoption or revision. Policies may be adopted after a first reading when: (1) appropriate for a consent agenda because no Board discussion is required, or (2) necessary or prudent in order to meet emergency or special conditions or to be legally compliant.

During the next regular meeting, conducts a second reading.

A second reading allows the Board to hear feedback from interested parties, including staff, parents, students, and community members; however, State law does not require two readings.

After the second reading, consider and take action to approve the policy at a duly convened open meeting.

Designated support staff

After a policy is adopted or revised, updates the District’s policy manual master electronic file and adds or updates adoption dates.

Archives previous version of revised policy.

Follows District process for updating paper and online manuals.

Assistant Superintendents, Directors, Building Principals, and supervisory employees

Reads adopted policies, follows the Superintendent’s process for updating administrative procedures, and makes necessary changes to employee and student handbooks within their assigned building(s).