GCISD Seats Three New Board Members
Carl Hoelscher, Doug Schaefer and Andy Wheeler were sworn in as new members of the Glasscock County Independent School District board May 6. Total votes in the election were: incumbent Brad Avery 98, Hoelscher 159, Schaefer 121 and Wheeler 124. The new members’ terms will expire in 2006; Mike Hillger’s and Tibby Niehues’ terms expire in 2004; Jimmy Eggemeyer’s and Karla Hoelscher’s terms expire in 2005.
Also on May 6, the board held a Texas Association of School Boards training session, conducted by TASB policy consultant Kathy London. The TASB training was at the request of School Superintendent Steve Long, and was the first since GCISD started using the TASB policy updates in 1992. Prior to the board meeting, London had spent some five hours with Long, reviewing the district’s policies. She said some of the answers to Long’s questions “were not what he wanted to hear.”
She reviewed GCISD’s policy manual with the board and explained how TASB updates help keep the district in compliance with state regulations.
London discussed the different roles of school administration and the school board, saying the job of the board is to govern and that of the administration is to manage. London said the role of the school board is not to fix problems, but to refer people with complaints to the appropriate teacher or administrator and let the school’s policies work. She said school policy is good only if it is used and enforced.
Board Legalities, Ethics Important
She discussed the legalities and ethics of serving on a school board, including nepotism laws, open meetings requirements and access to information (such as student records), which is not public.
Regarding nepotism laws, she said if a teacher has been working for the district for six months, a relative may be elected to the school board. However, that teacher’s contract must be dealt with separately by the board, and the board member who is a relative must abstain from discussing or voting on it.
London said relatives of board members can be hired as substitute teachers and because of shortages, as bus drivers ( in districts with populations below 35,000). She said relatives of board members cannot be hired as teachers’ aides, cafeteria workers, maintenance workers, etc.
She said school districts may do business with companies that have some connection to a board member if the relationship is disclosed beforehand, and if the board member abstains from any discussion or vote regarding that company.
Board Meetings Open to Public
London said open meetings laws require that the agendas of all board meetings be publicly posted in advance and that meetings be open to the public. There are a few specific situations that allow, but do not require, boards to close to the public all or parts of meetings. The school superintendent and the board president are responsible for setting board meeting agendas.
She said boards are not required by law to allow the public to speak at board meetings unless the matter in question is itemized on the board’s agenda. The “Open Forum” section of each agenda allows, in certain circumstances, for matters which are not agenda items to be brought before the board. However, to utilize the Open Forum, persons must sign up before the meeting and state the subject to be addressed. The superintendent is to then determine if the problem is one for which there is a policy in place, and if so, whether proper channels and chain of command have been utilized. If no policy exists to address the concern, or if proper channels have not resolved the problem, the person may be allowed to present the problem to the board. The board may not take action on Open Forum topics, but a board member can request that an Open Forum subject be placed as an item on the next agenda for further discussion and/or action.