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ADOPTION, REVISION, MAINTENANCE, AND DISSEMINATION OF BOARD POLICIES

Initiation of Policy Proposals and Related Responsibilities

The School Board recognizes its responsibility to establish and modify the Board’s formal, written policies by taking official action as a governmental body, as appropriately documented in the minutes of its meetings. The Board, the District Superintendent and (for those policy topics that are relevant to their operational and programmatic areas) the District’s other administrators and supervisors share a joint and continual responsibility to review and evaluate policies and to recommend possible additions and/or modifications as may be required by law or as may be otherwise beneficial to the District.

At the direction of the Board or by a request of the District Superintendent or an administrative-level designee, proposed changes to Board policy and any requests for the development of one or more policy options or recommendations on a specific topic may initially be referred to a committee that is a subunit of the Board or to some other designated advisory committee for timely review and evaluation. Subject to any applicable Board directives, established committees may also elect to take up policy topics within the general scope of the committee’s charge at their own initiative.

The Board President shall ensure that any formal recommendations to the Board on proposed policy changes are promptly presented to the Board at a Board meeting. In all other respects, the inclusion of possible policy changes as subject matter for Board meetings shall follow the agenda-setting procedures that apply to any other substantive matters of Board business. Proposals for changes to Board policy should normally be presented to the Board accompanied by actual sample policy language that reflects the proposal/recommendation.

Board Consideration and Voting on Proposals to Adopt, Amend, or Retire Board Policies

Except as otherwise required by law in a specific context and except to the extent a different voting standard is identified below for adopting policy changes at a first meeting/presentation, the Board may approve a change to Board policy by a majority vote of a quorum.

Normally, the procedure for making changes to Board policy will involve the presentation and discussion of the subject matter of the relevant policy proposal at two separate Board meetings, with final, official action on the possible adoption of any policy change(s) normally occurring at the second meeting. In the absence of any affirmative advancement vote or other directive from the Board, the Board President may use his or her judgment and discretion to interpret the Board’s intent regarding the advancement of consideration of proposed policy changes to an additional meeting.

A specific proposed policy change that has been introduced for consideration may be amended (i.e., prior to any final vote on official adoption of the policy change) at any meeting at which the subject matter of the possible policy change is being considered. In addition, the Board may direct or request any agent of the Board to prepare proposal revisions or alternative proposals between meetings.

As exceptions to the typical two-meeting process:

1. The Board may choose to defer taking final action on a proposed change to Board policy to a third or any later meeting.
2. Provided that the action would be consistent with the Open Meetings Law, the Board may, at its discretion, waive the use of a second meeting and proceed to consider official action on the approval of a proposal to change Board policy at the first meeting at which the relevant subject matter is considered. Regarding this exception:

                a. The Board President may initiate or any other Board member may demand a separate vote on the question of waiving the use of a second meeting, and the question of such waiver shall require a majority vote of a quorum to carry. However, if no such demand is made and no such separate vote is taken, then waiver will be implied by a Board decision that takes official action to adopt a policy change.

                 b. Official action on the approval of a proposal to change Board policy at the first meeting shall require a majority vote of a quorum.

                 c. The adoption of a policy change at the first meeting at which the subject matter of the possible policy change is presented/considered might occur, for example, (1) when there is a concern with achieving prompt legal compliance; (2) when other material timing considerations would be jeopardized if a vote on adoption is deferred to the next regular Board meeting; or (3) when the policy change under consideration involves the retirement of obsolete policy language, changes that are non-discretionary in nature, or changes that are in the nature of stylistic edits or minor corrections or clarifications.

Changes to Board policy shall take effect immediately upon the vote of the Board except (1) as required pursuant to any applicable law, (2) as specified in the policy itself, or (3) as otherwise directed by a decision of the Board (e.g., as part of the relevant motion adopting a policy change). Except as otherwise directed by a decision of the Board, the repeal of a Board policy (or any portion of a policy) shall not revive any predecessor policy (or applicable portion of a predecessor policy).

Suspension of the Application of a Board Policy

Provided that the decision would be consistent with applicable law (e.g., the decision would not violate a statute, regulation, or the legal rights of any person), the Board may, at its discretion, vote to temporarily suspend, in whole or in part, the application of an established Board policy (or a Board-adopted rule/guideline that accompanies a Board policy) to a specific situation without amending or repealing the otherwise-applicable policy and without otherwise affecting the application of such policy to other situations. A Board policy may be suspended as described in this paragraph by unanimous consent or by a motion that is supported by at least a majority vote of a quorum except to the extent that either of the following applies:

1. The policy in question expressly provides for its own suspension (whether in whole or in part), and, in doing so, the policy establishes a specific voting standard to apply to such suspension decisions.
2. An applicable law mandates the application of a different voting standard.

Policy Manual Maintenance and Policy Dissemination

On behalf of and, as needed, working in direct coordination with the school district clerk (e.g., to capture the exact wording of any Board-adopted amendments to a proposed policy), the District Superintendent or a designee shall be responsible for promptly incorporating Board-approved policy changes in the Board’s official, coded policy manual. Board policies and any related Board-adopted rules/guidelines/procedures or administrative rules/guidelines/procedures shall be further disseminated through appropriate means as required by law, as directed by the Board, or as additionally determined at the discretion of the District Superintendent or a designee.

Scope of Application

This policy applies to the School Board policies that are (or that, upon adoption, are proposed to be) systematically coded, titled, and maintained in the formal Board policy manual, as well as any similarly coded Board-adopted rules/guidelines/procedures that accompany such coded policies within the manual. In this policy, the phrases “policy change(s)” and “changes to Board policy” encompass the adoption of new Board policies and the amended or retirement of existing policies (as well as any similarly coded Board-adopted rules/procedures to which this policy applies). Subject to any applicable Board directives, the District Superintendent may separately adopt/approve written administrative rules, guidelines, or procedures to assist with the implementation of Board policies. The administrative adoption, amendment, or retirement of such administrative rules, guidelines, or procedures does not require any Board action. 
 

Cross Reference: GC 3 and 5

Legal Reference: Wisconsin State Statutes 120.13

Adoption Date: March 31, 2025