Governance Culture (GC) Policies

Policy: GC-5

Title: Board Committees

Status: Active

Adopted: February 27, 2018

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Board Committees

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 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. The termination date of each committee is listed in this policy. 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.
    
5. The Board will appoint members of Board committees and Board liaisons to other organizations.
    
6. All Board committees are listed below:
    

Board committees:

A. Name:  Bond Task Force
 

1. Purpose/Charge:

a. Consider the age, conditions and capacity of school facilities as well as current and projected community needs

b. Understand FSD’s work to date on long-range facilities planning and identified capital facilities’ needs

c. Consider the district’s many needed facilities projects and recommend a facilities bond project and cost list that reflects the needs of the district and the communities’ values and priorities
 

2. Membership:

a. A representative balance of employees and community members
 

b. Staff: Assistant Superintendent for Business & Support Services and Superintendent
 

c. Third-party facilitator
 

d. Two board members

 

Reporting Schedule: February 27, 2018
 

Term: February 27, 2018
 

Authority Over Resources:  As necessary to support their work as approved by the staff.

 

B.        Name:  Bond Oversight Committee

 

            1.    Committee Authorization

The elected Board of Directors of the Ferndale School District have commissioned this independent body to support their work by providing input and/or feedback. While the Directors welcome assistance from the Oversight Committee, they understand they retain legal authority and accountability for all aspects of running the School District including the ultimate oversight of expenditure of bond revenues.

 

            2.    Committee Purpose and Authority

The purpose of the Bond Oversight Committee will be (1) to remain engaged with the bond process from start to finish; (2) to receive and review regular information from the District about the timeline and major decision points along that timeline; (3) to raise questions and/or make suggestions about the process to the Board or its designee; and (4) to inform the public concerning the expenditure of bond revenues. The Bond Oversight Committee will actively review and regularly report to the community on whether taxpayers’ money for school construction has been used appropriately and for the purposes described in the bond resolution approved by voters.

 

In other words, while not a decision-making body, the Oversight Committee will be an integral part of the bond process. While not directing the work, they will be kept informed about the work as it unfolds and consulted as appropriate and feasible. The ultimate goal is that they will be the seven most well-informed non-employee citizens in the Ferndale School District when it comes to bond projects throughout the duration of the process.

 

In furtherance of this purpose, the Bond Oversight Committee’s activities may include, but not be strictly limited to, the following:

• Review of budget materials and construction timelines.
• Review of contracts, as appropriate.
• Review of the site plan and building design.
• Review of the District’s efforts to maximize bond revenues by implementing cost-saving measures and incorporating efficiencies into school site design.
• Review of any significant change orders generated during the construction process.
• Tours of construction sites with prior permission of, and scheduling by, the Superintendent or designee. 

 

The Bond Oversight Committee will not have:

• The authority to participate in the School District’s actual bond sale and issuance process, or make decisions regarding the timing, terms, or structure of bond issuance.
• The authority to select contractors or consultants for bond projects.
• The authority to dictate the design of bond projects.
• Unrestricted access to construction sites or construction projects without prior permission of the School District’s Superintendent or designee, who reserves the right to determine frequency and timing of such visits.
• The authority to contact School District contractors or consultants without prior permission of the Superintendent or designee.

 

            3.     Committee Operating Guidelines

The members of the Bond Oversight Committee will be selected by members of the community and will not be employees of either the Ferndale School District nor the City of Ferndale. They will reside within the District for the duration of their service on the Oversight Committee. They will serve in their capacity as unpaid volunteers.

 

The members of the Bond Oversight Committee will determine their own internal structure, schedule, and working protocols, which will not conflict with this Committee charter issued by the School Board and which they will share with both the Board and Superintendent.

 

All Bond Oversight Committee proceedings will be open to the public, and notice to the public will be provided in the same manner as the proceedings of the District’s School Board.

 

A written report describing program progress will be prepared quarterly for the Board of Directors and published on the Ferndale School District website.

 

The Committee will also issue an annual report to the Board, including an overall assessment of the bond projects, schedules, spending trends, and cost projections.

 

Minutes of the proceedings of the Bond Oversight Committee and all documents received and reports issued will be a matter of public record and be made available on the District’s website.

 

            4.    Conflicts of Interest

 

A member of the Oversight Committee will not attempt to influence the District’s decision about any contract or project which will benefit the member’s outside employment or provide financial benefit to a family member. Nor will a committee member use his or her position on the committee to negotiate future employment with any of the firms hired to work on bond projects. If any other conflict of interest arises, a committee member will report it to the School Board and the other members of the Oversight Committee, and recuse himself or herself from related discussions.

 

            5.    District Support of the Committee

The Board of Directors of the District will, without expending bond funds, provide the members of the Bond Oversight Committee with the technical and administrative assistance necessary for them to fulfill their purpose and to publicize their conclusions.

 

The District will provide the Bond Oversight Committee with responses to any and all findings, recommendations, and concerns addressed in their financial and performance audits.

 

            6.     Duration of the Committee

The Bond Oversight Committee will become active upon the School Board’s formal adoption of this policy.

 

The Bond Oversight will remain operational throughout the duration of the expenditure of bond funds to complete the projects described in the bond resolution approved by the voters.

 

            7.     Opportunity for Review

Since this Bond Oversight Committee model is new in Ferndale, the Board will invite the Oversight Committee to review this document with them approximately six months from the date it is voted into policy. At that review, the Board, with input from the Oversight Committee, may choose to make revisions or add clarifications.

 

 

Adopted 02.27.2018

Revised 10.30.2018; 03.26.2019; 07.30.2019

 

Monitoring Method: Board self-assessment

Monitoring Frequency:       Annually