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Governing Board Policies

Section B: Board Governance and Operations

Policy Title: Stakeholder Input and Advisory Committees
Policy Code: BDFA

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Purpose: The Governing Board believes that stakeholders should have input into the important decisions of the District. To the extent possible, committees will represent the diversity of the community. Stakeholders may include:

  1. Parents
  2. Members of the bargaining units selected by its leadership
  3. Community Members
  4. High School Students
  5. And others as appropriate

The input may be gathered through a committee process as well as from specific contact with the individual groups.

Exceptions: Committees being formed for specific purposes and affecting only one segment of the populations (Facilities fees, School closure, etc.) shall be made up of:

  1. Interested parties
  2. Appropriate District personnel

The Superintendent will communicate to the Governing Board the nature of the input and the manner in which this input is obtained from stakeholders.

Governing Board Committee: The Governing Board may establish Advisory Committees in order to obtain information from the community to inform Board decisions.

The Governing Board may appoint Advisory Committees as needed to serve in a consulting capacity to the Governing Board. These lay committees shall represent a cross-section of citizen opinion in the community. Members of the school district staff may be requested to serve in a resource capacity to the committees. In conformance with the Arizona Revised Statutes §38-431, all standing, special or advisory committees appointed by the Governing Board are subject to the open meeting law. As an additional requirement, every meeting of a Governing Board committee will have a Call to the Audience on its agenda.

The Governing Board will establish the terms of committee members as they are appointed to the committee. The specific term will be assigned by the Governing Board to permit rotation of members on committees which are expected to exist for more than one year.

The Committee shall create by-laws to be approved by the Governing Board. Revisions or modifications of by-laws will also be approved by the Governing Board.

The Governing Board may at anytime review the attendance record of committee members and appoint replacements for non-participating members.

Superintendent Committee: The Superintendent, or designee, may appoint Advisory Committees as needed to serve in a consulting capacity to the District. The Superintendent, or designee, may also appoint and/or oversee Advisory Committees formed according to state/federal guidelines. These lay committees shall represent a cross-section of citizen opinion in the community. Members of the school district staff may be requested to serve as either a member of the committee or in a resource capacity to the committee. These committees are not subject to the Arizona Open Meeting Laws unless state/federal guidelines, where applicable, so indicate.

The Superintendent or designee, at the inception of the committee, will inform the committee members of its purpose, its by-laws, if applicable, and its meeting requirements. Revisions or modifications of by-laws must be approved by the Superintendent or designee.

These committees, as all Advisory Committees, are subject to all requirements in this policy.

All committee members' terms will expire at the end of each school year.

Committee Guidelines

All Advisory Committees shall conform to the following guidelines:

  1. When a committee completes its charge, the committee shall be terminated.
  2. The composition of all committees which are formed to address state/federal programs will be determined according to state/federal and District policies and administrative regulations.
  3. Elections for offices within an Advisory Committee will follow fair and equitable procedures which provide for participation of all persons deemed to be in the electorate of the committee. The election procedures will be detailed in the by-laws for the Advisory Committee.
  4. In all cases, a District administrator will serve as liaison between the District and the Advisory Committee. This administrator will provide needed documents and information to the committee, notify the committee of pending relevant District actions in a timely manner, maintain effective District-committee communication, and ensure committee elections meet District requirements and comply with the by-laws of the committee.
  5. In all cases, decisions and/or recommendations made by Advisory Committees will be considered as advisory in nature and not Governing Board policy. The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board is the only body which can establish policy.

Adopted: August 16, 1960
Revision: October 19, 1965
Revision: February 16, 1971
Revision: May 9, 1989
Revision: July 5, 1989
Revision: September 9, 2008 (numeric to letter format only)
Revision: March 9, 2010 (policy formerly named Citizens’ Advisory Committees)

LEGAL REF.: Arizona Revised Statute §38-431. Public Meetings and Proceedings; Definitions

CROSS REF Governing Board Policy KB, Parental Involvement in Education
Guidelines regarding the Open Meeting Law

Replaces TUSD Policy # 1120