Board Governance

The Appleton Area School District Board of Education represents, leads and serves the owners and holds itself accountable to them by committing to act in their best interests and by ensuring that all Board and district action is consistent with law and the Board’s policies.

The Board’s purpose is to assure that the district achieves the results described in the Board’s Results policies and that it operates according to the values expressed in the Board’s Operational Expectations policies.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board will govern lawfully with primary emphasis on results for students; encourage full exploration of diverse viewpoints; focus on governance matters rather than administrative issues; observe clear separation of Board and Superintendent roles; make all official decisions by formal vote of the Board; and govern with long-term vision.

1. The Board will function as a single unit. The opinions and personal strengths of individual members will be used to the Board’s best advantage, but the Board faithfully will make decisions as a group, by formal vote. No officer, individual, or committee of the Board will be permitted to limit the Board’s performance or prevent the Board from fulfilling its commitments.

2. The Board is responsible for its own performance and commits itself to continuous improvement. The Board will assure that its members are provided with training and professional support necessary to govern effectively. As a means to assure continuous improvement, the Board regularly and systematically will monitor all policies in this section and will assess the quality of each meeting by debriefing the meeting following its conclusion.

3. To ensure that the Board’s business meetings are conducted with maximum effectiveness and efficiency, members will:

• come to meetings adequately prepared
• speak only when recognized
• not interrupt each other
• not engage in “side” conversations
• not repeat what has already been said
• not “play to the audience” or monopolize the discussion
• support the president’s efforts to facilitate an orderly meeting
• communicate openly and actively in discussion and dialog to avoid surprises
• encourage balanced participation of all members
• practice respectful body language

4. The Board will use a consent agenda as a means to expedite the disposition of routine matters and dispose of other items of business it chooses not to discuss. All administrative matters delegated to the Superintendent that are required to be approved by the Board will be acted upon by the Board via the consent agenda.

5. An item may be removed from the consent agenda upon the request of a single Board member.

6. The Board will direct the district through policy. The Board’s major focus will be on the results expected to be achieved by students, rather than on the strategic choices made by the Superintendent and staff to achieve those results.  

7. The Board, by majority vote, may revise or amend its policies at any time. 

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board’s job is to represent, lead and serve the citizens as it governs the district by establishing expectations for district results, expectations for quality operational performance, and monitoring actual performance against those expectations.

The Board will:

1. Ensure that the Results are the dominant focus of district performance.

2. Advocate for the district and the students it serves.

3. Initiate and maintain effective communication with the citizens and other important stakeholder groups as a means to engage them in the work of the Board and the district.

4. Develop written governing policies that address:

• Results:  The intended outcomes for the students served by the district.
• Operational Expectations:  Statements of the Board’s values about operational matters delegated to the Superintendent, including both actions to be accomplished and those prohibited.
• Governance Culture:  Definition of the Board’s own work, the processes it will employ, and the conditions within which it will accomplish that work.
• Board/Superintendent Relationship:  The role relationship of the Superintendent and the Board, including the specified authority of the Superintendent and the process for monitoring district and Superintendent performance.

5. Ensure acceptable Superintendent performance through effective monitoring of Results and Operational Expectations policies.

6. Ensure acceptable Board performance through effective evaluation of Board actions and processes.

7. Appoint an independent auditor to conduct an annual external review of the district’s financial condition and report directly to the Board.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The officers of the Board are those listed in this policy. Their duties are those assigned by this policy, and others required by law.

President

The President provides leadership to the Board, ensures the faithful execution of the Board’s processes, exercises interpretive responsibilities with integrity, reflecting the spirit and intent of the Board’s policies, and normally serves as the Board’s official spokesperson.  

The President has the following specific authority and duties:

1. Monitor Board actions to assure that they are consistent with the Board’s own rules and policies and with other obligations imposed by agencies whose authority supersedes the Board’s own authority.

• Conduct and monitor Board meeting deliberations to assure that Board discussion and action are focused on Board issues, as defined in Board policy (see GC-3).
• Assure that Board meeting discussions are productive, efficient and orderly.
• Chair Board meetings using the authority normally vested in the chair as described in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
• Lead timely Board meeting debriefings and periodic self-assessments to ensure continuous process improvement.

2. Make all interpretive decisions of Board policies in the Governance Culture and Board/Superintendent Relationship sections, using reasonable judgment.

The President is not authorized to:

• Make any interpretive decisions about policies created by the Board in the Results and Operational Expectations policy areas. Interpretation of these policies is the responsibility of the Superintendent.
• Exercise any authority as an individual to supervise or direct the Superintendent.
• Serve as a barrier between the Superintendent and the Board.

3. Assure the compilation of the Board’s summative evaluation of the Superintendent.

4. Represent the Board as its official spokesperson about issues decided by the Board and other matters related to official Board business.

5. Execute all documents authorized by the Board, except as otherwise provided by law.

6. Appoint members of all Board committees and Board liaisons to other organizations.

7. On behalf of the Board, and in concert with the Superintendent, develop proposed Board meeting agendas consistent with the Board’s annual work plan. 

Vice-President

The Vice-President shall serve as President in the event of the President’s absence or inability to perform assigned duties.

Clerk

The following actions are the responsibility of the Clerk and may be delegated to the Superintendent:

1. Be responsible for recording of all proceedings of all Board meetings and entering them, together with copies of all reports to municipal clerks in the District’s official records.

2. Carry out school board election duties as required by law.

3. Administer the oath of office to newly elected and appointed School Board members.

4. Report the name and address of all board members to the Clerk and Treasurer of each municipality having territory within the School District within 10 days of their election or appointment.

5. Draw orders upon the Treasurer and see that they are properly recorded. 6. Sign checks in payment of lawfully incurred and properly approved expenditures as required by law.

7. Furnish each teacher with a copy of the contract between him/her and the School Board.

8. Deliver annually on or before November 10 to the Clerk of each municipality having territory within the School District, a certified statement showing that proportion of the amount of taxes levied.

9. Notify the proper postmaster of the name and location of any new school(s) and the proper disposition of mail addressed to it.

10. File a timely and verified annual school district report with the Department of Public Instruction.

11. Perform other duties as required by law or assigned by the Board.

Treasurer

The following actions are the responsibility of the Treasurer and may be delegated to the Superintendent:

1. Receive and deposit promptly in the officially designated District depository(ies) all monies paid to the District and keep a record of the receipt of such monies.

2. Provide for the disbursement of District funds in accordance with State law.

3. Ensure that the Board receives a quarterly report that accurately reflects the financial position of the District.

4. Present to the annual meeting a written statement of all money received and disbursed by the treasurer during the preceding year.

5. Sign checks in payment of lawfully incurred and properly approved expenditures as required by law.

6. Make arrangements to apply for, receive and sue for all money appropriated to or collected for the school district and disburse the same in accordance with State statute.

7. Perform such other duties as required by law or assigned by the Board.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: July 24, 2023

The Board may create committees if they are deemed helpful to the Board in the performance of its responsibilities. If committees are established, they will be used exclusively to support the work of the Board as described in Policy GC-3 and will never be created or used to assist the Superintendent in any operational area.

1. Board committees and other such entities, by whatever name created by the Board, will not direct, advise, assist or oversee the Superintendent or staff. Committees customarily will prepare recommendations for Board consideration. Board committees will have no authority over staff and may exercise demands on staff time and organizational resources only to the extent authorized in this policy.

2. Board committees may not speak or act for the Board. The responsibilities and authority of all Board committees are carefully stated in this policy to assure that committees fully understand their duties and extent of authority, and to assure that committee work will not usurp or conflict with the Board’s own authority or conflict with authority delegated to the Superintendent.

3. All Board committees are considered to be ad hoc, or temporary, and shall include in their creation a date of expiration. Committees may be renewed or reauthorized upon their expiration, but unless the Board acts to renew the committee’s existence, it shall cease to exist upon the date specified.

4. Board committees may or may not include members of the Board, but may not constitute a quorum of the Board.

5. Board committees shall follow Open Meetings laws.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board will follow an annual work plan that includes continuing monitoring and review of all policies, engagement sessions with ownership and stakeholder groups, and activities to improve Board performance.

1. The annual planning cycle will end each year in June to allow the Superintendent to properly align internal operational systems and processes.

2. The Board’s annual work plan for the next year will include:

• Scheduled engagement sessions with ownership and stakeholder groups and persons whose viewpoints are considered helpful to the Board.
• Governance process improvement activities, including orientation and training of candidates and new Board members in the Board’s governance process and other discussions by the Board about means to improve its own performance, especially Board member knowledge and skills.
• Scheduled monitoring of all policies.
• Other events and activities that are parts of the Board’s responsibilities and interests.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board and its members will conduct themselves lawfully with integrity and high ethical standards in order to model the behaviors expected of staff and students and to build public confidence and credibility.

1. Board members will serve the interests of the citizens of the entire school district. Members recognize this responsibility to the whole to be greater than:

• Any loyalty a member may have as a result of having been elected from a sub-part of the district
• Any loyalty a member may have to any other advocacy or interest groups
• Loyalty based upon membership on other boards or staffs
• Conflicts based upon the personal interest of any Board member who is also a parent of a student in the district
• Conflicts based upon being a relative of an employee of the district.

2. Board members will not exercise individual authority over the organization:

• Members will not assume personal responsibility for resolving operational problems or complaints. Complaints will be referred to the Superintendent for investigation and resolution
• Members will not attempt to personally direct any part of the operational organization
• When speaking to the press or otherwise publicly sharing personal opinions, members will respect decisions of the Board and will not undermine those decisions
• Members will not publicly express individual negative judgments about Superintendent or staff performance.  Any such judgments of Superintendent or staff performance will be verbally expressed in person or in closed session.

3. To build trust among members and to ensure an environment conducive to effective governance, members will:

• focus on issues rather than personalities
• respect decisions of the full Board
• exercise honesty in all written and interpersonal interaction, never intentionally misleading or misinforming each other
• criticize privately, praise publicly
• make every reasonable effort to protect the integrity and promote the positive image of the district and one another
• never embarrass each other or the district

4. Members will exercise personal discipline in the performance of their duties, including proper use of authority and appropriate decorum when acting as Board members. 5. Members will maintain confidentiality appropriate to sensitive issues and information that otherwise may tend to compromise the integrity or legal standing of the Board, especially those matters discussed in closed session. 

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

Board members are expected to avoid conflicts of interest involving all matters considered by the Board. A conflict of interest exists when a member is confronted with an issue in which the member has a personal or financial interest or an issue or circumstance that could render the member unable to devote complete loyalty and singleness of purpose to the public interest.

1. If a Board member has a personal or financial interest in any matter being considered by the Board, the member shall disclose such interest to the Board, shall not vote on the matter and shall not attempt to influence the decisions of other Board members.

2. A member of the Board shall not also be a paid employee of the district, nor shall a member receive any compensation for services rendered to the district other than legally defined and authorized compensation for serving as a member of the Board. This provision shall not prohibit members from receiving reimbursement for authorized expenses incurred during the performance of board duties.

3. The Board shall not enter into any contract with any of its members or with a firm in which a member has a financial interest.

4. A Board member is expected to avoid conflict of interest in the exercise of the member’s fiduciary responsibility. Accordingly, a Board member may not:

• Disclose or use confidential information acquired during the performance of official duties as a means to further the Board member’s own personal financial interests or the interests of a member of the Board member’s immediate family
• Accept a gift of substantial value or economic benefit which would tend to improperly influence a reasonable person, or which the Board member knows or should know is primarily for the purpose of a reward for official action
• Engage in a substantial financial transaction for private business purposes with a person whom the Board member directly supervises;
• Perform an official act which directly confers an economic benefit on a business in which the Board member has a substantial financial interest or is engaged as a counsel, consultant, representative or agent.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board and each of its members are committed to faithful compliance with the provisions of the Board’s policies. The Board recognizes that its failure to deal with violations of its policies risks the loss of confidence in the Board’s ability to govern effectively. Therefore, in the event of a member’s mistaken, willful and/or continuing violation of policy, the Board ordinarily will address the issue by the following process:

1. Conversation in a private setting between the member considered to be in violation and the Board president or other individual member

2. Discussion in a closed session between the member considered to be in violation and the full Board

3. Possible removal by the Board from any leadership or committee positions to which the offending member has been appointed or elected

4. Censure of the offending member of the Board as a means of separating the Board’s focus and intent from those of the offending member.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

The Superintendent is the Board’s sole point of direction to the operational organization. The Board will direct the operational organization only through the Superintendent, functioning as the Chief Executive Officer.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board will direct the Superintendent only through official decisions of the Board.

1. The Board will make decisions by formal, recorded vote in order to avoid any ambiguity about whether direction has been given.

2. The Superintendent is neither obligated nor expected to follow the directions or instructions of individual members, officers or committees unless the Board has specifically delegated such exercise of authority.

3. Should the Superintendent determine that an information request received from an individual member or from a committee is unreasonable or requires a material amount of staff time, the Superintendent is expected to ask the committee or the member to refer such requests to the full Board for authorization.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Superintendent is responsible for all matters related to the day-to-day operation of the district, within the values expressed by the Board in policy. All staff members report directly or indirectly to the Superintendent.

1. The Board will never give direction to any employee other than the Superintendent.

2. The Board will not formally or informally evaluate any staff member other than the Superintendent.

3. Except as required by law, the Board will not participate in decisions or actions involving the hiring, evaluating, disciplining or dismissal of any employee other than the Superintendent.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board will provide direction to the Superintendent through written policies that define the organizational results to be achieved for students and define operational conditions and actions to be accomplished or avoided.

1. The Board will develop Results policies instructing the Superintendent to achieve defined results for the students served by the district.

2. The Board will develop Operational Expectations policies which express the Board’s values about operational conditions and actions. Certain of these values will be expressed positively to assure that the stated actions occur, and the identified conditions exist, and will be stated as directives. Certain other values represent actions and conditions that are to be avoided and will be stated prohibitively, except as required by law, the Board will not participate in decisions or actions involving the hiring, evaluating, disciplining or dismissal of any employee other than the Superintendent.

3. As long as the Superintendent uses any reasonable interpretation of the Board’s Results and Operational Expectations policies, the Superintendent is authorized to establish any additional district policies or regulations, make any decisions, establish any practices, and develop any activities the Superintendent deems appropriate to achieve the Board’s Results policies. The Superintendent is not expected to seek Board approval or authority for any such decisions falling within the Superintendent’s area of delegated authority.

4. The Board may change its Results and Operational Expectations policies, and in so doing, shift the boundary between Board and Superintendent areas of responsibility. The Board will respect and support any reasonable interpretation of its policies and subsequent actions chosen by the Superintendent.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

The Board considers Superintendent performance to be identical to district performance. District accomplishment of the Board’s Results policies, and district operation according to the values expressed in the Board’s Operational Expectations policies, will be considered successful Superintendent performance. These two components define the Superintendent’s job responsibilities and are the basis for the Superintendent’s performance evaluation.

1. The Board will determine organizational performance based upon a defined systematic monitoring process as outlined in its Annual Work Plan.

2. The Board will acquire monitoring data on Results and Operational Expectations policies by one or more of three methods:

• By Internal Report, in which the Superintendent submits information that certifies and documents to the Board compliance or reasonable progress
• By External Review, in which an external third party selected by the Board assesses compliance or reasonable progress with applicable Board policies
• By Board Inspection, in which the whole Board, or a committee duly charged by the Board,formally assesses compliance or reasonable progress based upon specific policy criteria.

3. The consistent performance standard for Operational Expectations policies shall be whether the Superintendent has:

• reasonably interpreted the policy
• complied with the provisions of the Board policy.

4. The consistent performance standard for Results policies shall be whether the Superintendent has:

• reasonably interpreted the policy
• made reasonable progress toward achieving the outcomes defined by the Board’s Results policies.

5. The Board will make the final determination as to whether the Superintendent’s interpretation is reasonable, whether the Superintendent has complied and whether reasonable progress has been made. In doing so, the Board will apply the “reasonable person” standard.

6. All policies that instruct the Superintendent will be monitored according to a schedule and by a method determined by the Board and included in the Board’s annual work plan. The Board may monitor any policy out of this defined sequence or method if it is determined by a majority of the Board that conditions warrant monitoring at times other than those specified by the annual schedule.

7. Each June, the Board will conduct a formal summative evaluation of the Superintendent. The summative evaluation will be based upon data collected and decisions made by the Board during the year related to the monitoring of Results and Operational Expectations policies. The Board will prepare a written evaluation document consisting of:

• A summary of the data derived during the year from monitoring the Board’s Results and Operational Expectations policies
• Conclusions based upon the Board’s prior action during the year relative to the Superintendent’s reasonable interpretation of each Results policy and whether reasonable progress has been made toward its achievement
• Conclusions based upon the Board’s prior action during the year relative to whether the Superintendent has reasonably interpreted and operated according to the provisions of the Operational Expectations policies.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 Revised: June 24, 2024

The Superintendent shall not cause, allow, or fail to take reasonable measures to prevent any practice, activity, decision, or organizational condition that is unlawful, unethical, unsafe, disrespectful, imprudent, inequitable, is in violation of Board policy, or endangers the district’s public image or credibility.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

The Superintendent shall designate at least one other executive staff member who is familiar with the Board’s governance process and issues of current concern, and is capable of assuming Superintendent responsibilities on an emergency basis.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

The Superintendent shall ensure that the community is adequately informed about the condition and direction of the district and shall maintain an organizational culture that engages staff, students, parents/guardians, and other community members with respect and courtesy.

The Superintendent will:

1. Collect, use, and protect staff and student confidential information.

2. Effectively process formal inquiries and complaints.

3. Ensure timely, two-way communication that builds public understanding and support, while fostering openness, inclusion, and respect throughout the district.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: August 23, 2021, September 13, 2021, and September 22, 2025

The Superintendent shall ensure the recruitment, retention, employment, development, evaluation, and compensation of district employees in a manner necessary to enable the district to achieve its Results policies and legal compliance.

The Superintendent will:

1. Ensure that no person is employed or is an unsupervised volunteer by the district without first clearing thorough background inquiries and checks.

2. Recruit and select only highly qualified and the best-suited candidates for all positions at all sites.

3. Develop strategies to recruit employees who reflect the student population.

4. Administer clear personnel rules and procedures for employees.

5. Maintain a process to ensure formal complaints and concerns are addressed.

6. Maintain adequate job descriptions for all staff positions.

7. Ensure all significant revisions to employee benefits and compensation package is presented for Board approval.

8. Ensure that compensation and benefit plans attract and retain high-quality employees by compensating employees, within available resources, in a manner consistent with the applicable marketplace, including but not limited to organizations of comparable size and type.

9. Ensure employees will receive a performance evaluation in accordance with Board policy, including their contribution towards achieving the Board's Result Policies and compliance with the Board's Operational Expectations.

10. Ensure that all staff members are trained and provided professional development to perform the responsibilities assigned to them.

11. Evaluate organizational culture and develop plans to promote a positive work environment that allows staff to perform their jobs effectively.

12. Reasonably include personnel in decisions that affect them.

13. Establish reduction-in-force procedures that provide for attrition as the first line of staff reduction, provided that essential programs are not negatively impacted.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: September 13, 2021, October 9, 2023, and August 25, 2025

The Superintendent shall develop and maintain a multi-year financial plan that is related directly to the Board’s Results priorities and Operational Expectation (OE), and that avoids long-term fiscal risk to the district.

The Superintendent will develop a budget that:

1. Is in a summary format understandable to the Board and presented in a manner that allows the Board to understand the relationship between the budget and the Results priorities and any Operational Expectations goals.

2. Credibly describes revenues and expenditures.

3. Shows the amount spent in each budget category for the most recently completed fiscal year, the amount budgeted for the current fiscal year, and the amount budgeted for the next fiscal year.

4. Discloses budget-planning assumptions.

5. Reflects anticipated changes in employee compensation, including inflationary adjustments, step increases, framework increases and benefits.

6. Includes such amounts as the Board determines to be necessary for its own governing function, including board member training, consultation, attendance at professional conferences and events, and other matters identified by the Board.

7. Provides for an anticipated year-end fund balance sufficient to minimize the need for short-term borrowing and protects the District’s bond rating. The Superintendent may not develop a budget that:

8. Plans for the expenditure in any fiscal year of more funds than are conservatively projected to be available during the year.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: July 26, 2021, and January 8, 2024

The Superintendent shall not cause or allow any financial activity or condition that materially deviates from the budget adopted by the Board, that cause or allow any fiscal condition that is inconsistent with achieving the Board’s Results priorities or meeting any Operational Expectations goals; or that jeopardizes the financial health of the district.

The Superintendent will:

1. Assure that payroll and legitimate debts of the district are promptly paid when due. 2. Assure that all micro and small purchases are made in accordance with Policy 672- Purchasing Policy.

3. Assure that all large purchases, including the purchase of supplies, materials, and equipment, and any contracted services except professional services, are completed in accordance with Policy 672- Purchasing Policy.

4. Coordinate and cooperate with the Board’s appointed financial auditor for an annual audit of all district funds and accounts.

5. Make all reasonable efforts to collect any funds due to the district from any source.

6. Keep complete and accurate financial records by funds and accounts in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

7. Publish a financial condition statement annually.

The Superintendent may not:

8. Expend more funds than have been received in the fiscal year unless revenues are made available through other legal means, including the use of fund balances, the authorized transfer of funds from reserve funds, or from tax anticipation notes.

9. Indebt the District.

10. Permanently transfer money from one dedicated fund to another.

11. Allow any required reports to be overdue or inaccurately filed.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: July 26, 2021, December 11, 2023​​​​​

The Superintendent will ensure that all district assets are adequately protected, properly maintained, appropriately used, and not placed at undue risk.

The Superintendent will:

1. Maintain property and casualty insurance coverage on district property with limits equal to 100 percent of replacement value.

2. Maintain both Errors and Omissions and Comprehensive General Liability insurance coverage protecting board members, staff, and the district itself in an amount that is reasonable for school districts of comparable size and character.

3. Adequately protect the district against theft or misappropriation of funds by any personnel who have access to material amounts of district or school funds.

4. Protect intellectual property, information, files, records, and fixed assets from loss or significant damage. The Superintendent may not:

5. Permit facilities and equipment to be subject to improper use or insufficient maintenance.

6. Recklessly expose the district, the Board, or staff to legal liability

7. Invest funds in investments that are not secured or that are not authorized by law.

8. Purchase or sell real estate, including land and buildings, or enter into a property lease without Board approval.

9. Act or fail to act in any manner that damages the district’s public image or credibility.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: July 26, 2021

The Superintendent shall ensure that the Board is fully supported and adequately informed about matters relating to Board work and significant district concerns.

The Superintendent will:

1. Submit required monitoring data (see policy B/SR-5–Monitoring Superintendent Performance) in a thorough, accurate, and understandable fashion, according to the Board’s annual work plan schedule, and including both Superintendent interpretations and relevant data to document compliance or reasonable progress.

2. Provide information about trends, facts, and other information relevant to the Board’s work in a timely manner.

3. Inform the Board of significant transfers of money within funds or other changes substantially affecting the district’s financial condition.

4. Ensure that the Board has adequate information from a variety of internal and external viewpoints to ensure informed Board decisions.

5. Inform the Board of anticipated significant media coverage.

6. Inform the Board, the Board President, or individual members if, in the Superintendent’s opinion, the Board or individual members have encroached into areas of responsibility assigned to the Superintendent or if the Board or its members are non-compliant with any Governance Culture or Board/Superintendent Relations policies.

7. Present information in simple and concise form, indicating clearly whether the information is incidental, intended for decision preparation, or for formal monitoring.

8. Treat all members impartially and ensure that all members have equal access to information.

9. Inform the Board in a timely manner of any actual or anticipated noncompliance with any Board Operational Expectations policy or any anticipated failure to achieve reasonable progress toward any Results policy.

10. Provide for the Board adequate information about all administrative actions and decisions that are delegated to the Superintendent but required by law to be approved by the Board.

11. Inform the Board in a timely manner of the administrative disposition of formal complaints referred to the Superintendent by the Board.

12. The Superintendent will inform the Board in advance of any deletions of, additions to, or significant modifications of any operational policies, instructional programs, or the employee handbook.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: September 22, 2025

The Superintendent shall establish and maintain a learning environment that is safe, respectful, and conducive to effective learning and high student achievement.

The Superintendent will:

1. Foster a supportive and encouraging district-wide culture that promotes student success and prioritizes the physical and social-emotional well-being of all students.

2. Ensure that all policies and procedures regarding student behavior are:

• culturally responsive
• trauma sensitive
• restorative
• developed with input from diverse perspectives
• communicated to students, parents, and staff
• enforced consistently
• implemented appropriately with reasonable judgment

3. Identify and address inequities in discipline practices.

4. Prohibit unruly behavior on school property and at school-sponsored events by students or by adults that disrupts learning or that are disrespectful or dangerous, including any form of bullying.

5. Monitor and maintain programs and strategies intended to address personal and systemic barriers to attendance.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: September 22, 2025

The Superintendent shall provide a guaranteed and viable curricular program that offers challenging and relevant opportunities for all students to achieve the outcomes defined in the Board’s Results policies.

The Superintendent will:

1. Ensure that instructional programs are culturally responsive and accommodate the different needs, abilities, interests, and personal goals of individual students.

2. Ensure that all curricular programs are aligned to district-adopted learning standards and are effective in assisting all students to meet or exceed performance expectations as defined by Results policies.

3. Accurately assess each student’s academic performance and identify significant inequities and gaps in achievement outcomes.

4. Regularly evaluate and modify instructional programs for continuing effectiveness and encourage programs as appropriate to address identified data/student needs, including gaps in achievement outcomes, as necessary to achieve Results.

5. Ensure that the instructional program includes opportunities for all students to develop talents, skills, and interests.

6. Monitor and control student use of technology and provide appropriate student access to technology.

7. Protect the instructional time provided for all students during the academic day.

8. Bring all recommended changes to the District’s graduation requirements for Board approval.

9. Bring all recommended changes to the District’s attendance boundaries for Board approval.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: October 23, 2023, and August 25, 2025

The Superintendent shall ensure that physical facilities support the accomplishment of the Board’s Results policies.

The Superintendent will:

1. Develop and execute a facility plan that establishes priorities for construction, renovation and maintenance projects that:

• Assigns highest priority to the correction of unsafe conditions
• Includes maintenance costs as necessary to enable facilities to reach their intended life cycles
• Plans for and schedules preventive maintenance
• Plans for and schedules system replacement when new schools open, schools are renovated, or systems replaced
• Discloses assumptions on which the plan is based, including growth patterns and the financial and human impact individual projects will have on other parts of the district

2. Project life-cycle costs as capital decisions are made.

3. Ensure that facilities are safe, clean, and properly maintained.

4. Inform the Board on construction schedules and change orders that significantly increase cost or reduce quality of any capital project.

The Superintendent may not:

5. Build or renovate buildings.

6. Recommend land acquisition without first determining growth patterns, comparative costs, construction and transportation factors and any extraordinary contingency costs due to potential natural and man-made risks.

7. Unreasonably deny the public’s use of facilities as long as student safety, student functions, and the instructional program are not compromised.

8. Name or rename any school or other major District facility.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: January 8, 2024

Students will graduate academically, socially and emotionally prepared for success in their personal lives, careers and continuing education; and committed to lead, care for, and contribute to their community.

Adopted: June 14, 2021 

Each student will be literate, numerate, and able to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired across all academic disciplines.

2.1 Each student will demonstrate personal growth and achievement in increasingly challenging levels of complexity, demonstrating the higher order thinking skills of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and creativity when enrolled in disciplines, including:

• 2.1.1 English Language Arts
• 2.1.2 Mathematics
• 2.1.3 Science
• 2.1.4 Civics and Social Studies

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: October 9, 2023

Students will acquire the developmental skills necessary to lead healthy, satisfying, self-directed, and productive lives in the following domains:

• 3.1 Cognitive development, including critical, analytical, and creative thinking.
• 3.2 Financial Literacy, including the ability to understand, evaluate, and communicate information about money and financial services.
• 3.3 Communications development, including the ability to listen and express themselves effectively.
• 3.4 Social development, including the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with others, to function as members of teams and to contribute to the common good.
• 3.5 Moral and ethical character development, including respect, empathy, and compassion for others and accountability for their own actions.
• 3.6 Psychological development, including resilience, adaptability, the ability to manage their own emotions and to maintain positive self-worth.
• 3.7 Career development, including exploring and identifying aptitudes, interests, passions, and understanding of career expectations.

Adopted: June 14, 2021

Revised: October 9, 2023