The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. board is considering revising its policy on board-staff communications.
Superintendent Jim Roberts presented a revised draft of board policy 3112, which outlines how communication is to take place between the school board and BCSC staff, at a Nov. 9 school board meeting. The board has not yet voted on whether or not to adopt the revisions, which are based off discussions from a recent strategic planning session.
The draft proposes two main changes. First, it revises the policy’s section C, which focuses on social interaction. This section currently states that discussion of certain "confidential subjects" between staff and board members is considered "unethical conduct." These subjects include, but are not limited to, "personnel grievances and problems, student due process, contract negotiations, and litigation."
The proposed revision states the above discussions are "strongly discouraged, given potential legal liability."
The second proposed change is the addition of a section D stating that all staff can make remarks or "present concerns" during the time for public comment at a school board meeting. They are, however, required to comply with the same procedures as all other speakers, which include "refraining from using the names of individual students and/or staff members."
Roberts said that the proposed section on public comments would be a way to clear up "confusion" about whether or not staff are allowed to speak at board meetings.
The presented draft proposes no changes for sections A and B of the policy, which state that official communications from staff members to the school board (and vice versa) should be submitted through superintendent.
Section A adds, "All business of the school corporation must follow the chain-of-command established by the Superintendent. This procedure is not intended to deny any staff member the right to appeal to the Board on important matters through established procedures."
