The Diligent team

GRC trends and insights

Agenda example for a school board committee meeting

In this article, you will learn:

• The core purpose of school board committees and common types of committees
• Main components and content that should go into a board committee meeting agenda
• The usefulness of templates and digital tools in holding successful board committee meetings

School board committees are established to distribute some of the work of the board to make it more manageable. This can enable school board members to examine certain topics or issues in greater detail than is typically possible at the full board level.

The example of an agenda for a committee meeting that is outlined in this article can be used for any type of school board committee. The varying committees overseen by the school board serve specific purposes to meet certain goals and to provide support to the full school board through the work they accomplish.

• An “Athletic Committee” may review policies and procedures related to the school district’s athletic programs and make recommendations to the full school board for cuts, additions, or other changes related to those programs.
• The “Finance Committee” could review and monitor issues related to the school district’s budget. This committee may recommend adjustments to the school district’s budget. The “Finance Committee” might recommend cost effective and efficient projects and other initiatives for the consideration of the full school board.
• A “Technology Committee” might analyze the district’s technology plans, policies and procedures. This committee could develop and amend policies related to technology and cybersecurity practices for the district to keep them current and relevant. The “Technology Committee” may recommend major initiatives related to technology or cybersecurity to the full school board.

It is imperative that school board committees keep in mind that while the committee works to support the work of the school board, committees do not act for the board.

However, school board committees serve important purposes, sometimes providing reports at school board meetings and making recommendations to the full board. The foundation to a committee meeting is the meeting agenda, so it is important to analyze an example of an agenda for a committee meeting to know how to implement and employ an effective meeting agenda.

It is imperative to note that all school board committee meetings are subject to the same regulations as other school board meetings, based upon the state in which the board resides. All board committees must follow the regulations of the Sunshine Laws pertaining to school board meetings. An example of an agenda for a committee meeting must keep in mind the regulations and policies that school boards and their committees must abide by.

Agendas must be created for each committee meeting. The public must be notified appropriately of any school board committee meetings and the meetings must be held in public. Please note that this article provides an example of an agenda for a committee meeting, so it is important to review state and local policies regarding the school board committee regulations for your specific district and how that may impact your committee’s agenda.

Example of an Agenda for a Committee Meeting

1. Name of the school district.
2. Name of the committee that is meeting.
3. Date, time, and location of the meeting.
4. Call to order. When the meeting is ready to begin (committee members are present and a quorum is met) then the committee chair will open the meeting. This includes a general welcome to attendees and then a roll call of committee members. It is important to identify the committee chair and committee members in the meeting minutes.
5. Approve minutes from previous committee meeting. The draft minutes from the previous meeting should be made available to all present parties to review and for approval. This is an opportunity to make any corrections to the minutes from the previous meeting. Having to distribute and read minutes during the meeting can waste time. Utilizing the right board portal will allow for easy access to previous meeting minutes for review before the upcoming meeting.
6. Additions to the current agenda. This might vary by the district or state. Some policies and regulations do not allow for business to be added to an agenda at the meeting and committees (again, depending on the state) must follow the same meeting policies as the school board.
7. Business action items. In this example of an agenda for a committee meeting, business action may also address new and unfinished business. This agenda item provides the opportunity for the committee to discuss and vote on current business and develop action items. BoardDocs, a school board management software, can allow for electronic voting in real time
8. Unfinished business from the previous meeting. Addressing unfinished business may vary by the state. In some states, every agenda item must be addressed and there cannot be any unfinished business.
9. New business. New business is typically only used to bring up items to place on a future agenda. For most states, the public should always be made aware of new business items. It is important to check your local laws regarding how new business may be presented. Using a board portal to submit any information related to the topic will keep committee members and public informed.
10. Open discussion or public participation.
11. Time of adjournment. In this example of an agenda for a committee meeting, adjourning the meeting can cover a few different items or tasks. The committee chair may remind others of the next meeting, thank participants for their time and work, review any assigned tasks or business, and then adjourn the meeting.

Once your school board committee finds an example of an agenda for a committee meeting that would be applicable for future meetings, the agenda template can be continuously used through a board portal, like BoardDocs, to simply the agenda creation process. BoardDocs allows for documents and materials related to the agenda to be uploaded and shared with participants. Utilizing a board portal will also make recording minutes more efficient.

School board committees are established to better support the full school board, enabling the board to examine certain topics or issues in greater detail. It is imperative for school board committees to utilize an effective meeting agenda to work efficiently and effectively. An example of an agenda for a committee meeting can be used to simplify the process of developing an effective agenda template for committee meetings.