Board of Education Committees

This procedural directive was reviewed and revised in September 2018. We provide this revision for historic purposes only.

Standing Committee Chair Elections. 

The election of the Standing Committee Chairs shall be as follows:

• Nominations and elections shall be conducted in public at the first Regular Board meeting held in March. 
• Should a Chair of a Standing Committee resign or be removed during his or her term of office, the Board, at its next meeting following such resignation or removal, shall hold an election to fill the vacated position by public vote.
• The term of Committee Chair is one year.  Committee Chairs may serve successive terms.

Chair Responsibilities

The chair of a standing committee shall:

• Preside at Committee meeting
• Direct and guides preparation of Committee agendas in collaboration with the assigned Superintendent designee
• Set Committee schedules

Types of Standing Committees and Membership.  

Standing Committees shall be responsible for addressing Board Business.  Standing Committees shall work independently, but in collaboration with all other Committees and the Board, according to their defined scope of responsibility and function as follows: 

• Five Standing Committees shall carry out the continuing functions and purposes of the Board.  The five Standing Committees are:
  • Policy and Instruction
  • Finance
  • District Equity and Engagement
  • Capital Outlay and Technology
  • Audit.
  • The Board shall establish areas of responsibility for the Standing Committees.  
  • Members of Standing Committees must be members of the Board, with the exception of the Audit Committee. 
  • The membership of Standing Committees is as follows:
    • Each standing committee will be a committee of the whole Board.  Board members are members of each committee and are encouraged to attend all committee meetings.
    • The chairperson of each standing committee will be elected by the Board at the first Regular Board meeting held in March. 
    • Board members will be the voting members of the committees, and the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee(s) will serve as non-voting members of the committees. The public will be encouraged to attend.
    • Committee Voting Procedures:
      • Committee members have the responsibility to vote.
      • A majority of Committee members shall constitute a quorum to conduct the business of a Committee.  The act of a majority of the Committee members present at any Committee meeting shall be deemed the act of the Committee.
      • There shall be no proxy voting at Committee meetings.
      • No Committee may take any action that shall establish policy for the Board or make any decision that shall be binding upon the Board.

The missions of each Committee are outlined below.

Policy and Instruction Committee:

• The Policy Committee oversees, consistently reviews and streamlines all policies of the District so that the policies reflect best practices, legal compliance and accurate data while respecting the diversity of students and the community.
• Be responsible for recommending to the Board the approval and revocation of charter for the District’s charter schools.
• Review the District’s progress in achieving its strategic goals and make recommendations to the Board.

Capital Outlay and Technology Committee:  

• The Capital Outlay and Technology Committee ensures safe and welcoming learning and working environments by overseeing the management of the District’s property, facilities and technology through documented and open reporting systems, cultivated expertise and accountability to the community.

Finance Committee:  

• The Finance Committee provides financial oversight to the District through established systems of open reporting to ensure financial stability, legal compliance and the efficient and effective use of resources to support the academic success of all students.

District Equity and Engagement Committee:  

• The District Equity and Engagement Committee engages legislative and community issues and outreach that are value-driven, responsive, data-based, non-partisan and student-focused to adequately address the diverse needs of the community.

Audit Committee: 

• The function of the Audit Committee is to review and recommend approval or action(s) associated with the District’s Annual Audit, any internal audit(s), audits associated with the Capital Outlay and Technology, and any employee whistleblower complaints. 

Notice of Committee Meetings and Agendas. 

All meetings of Board committees will be publicly announced and will adhere to the Open Meetings Act and the Open Meetings Resolution of the Board.

Each Committee Chair shall approve an agenda for each Committee meeting, incorporating business forwarded by the  Superintendent (or his/her designee), the Board, the President, or Board member(s).

The Committee may change or modify the agenda at the meeting. Except in an emergency, action may only be taken on items that have been officially posted for a twenty-four (24) hour period prior to the meeting.  A committee coordinator is assigned by the District administration to attend each meeting and be responsible for preparing minutes of the meeting.

Ad Hoc Committees. 

Ad Hoc Committees may be appointed by the President or the Board as deemed necessary.  Ad Hoc Committees shall be limited in their jurisdiction to the purpose of their establishment.  Members of Ad Hoc Committees must be members of the Board. The size of Ad Hoc Committees will be determined at the time of formation.

Task Force Committees or Commissions. 

Task Force Committees or Commissions may be appointed by the President or the Board as one means of discerning the needs and desires of the District and its residents.  Task Force Committees or Commissions are advisory and shall be limited in their jurisdiction to the purpose of their establishment.   Members of Task Force Committees or Commissions may be either Board or community members.  Ultimate authority to make decisions will continue to reside with the Board. The size of Task Forces or Commissions will be determined at the time of formation.

Community or Other Governmental Committees

Resignation or Removal of Committee Chairs. 

Any Committee Chair may resign from his or her position at any time by giving written notice to the President of the Board.  The resignation shall be accepted by the Board.  A Committee Chair may be removed from his/her position by public vote of at least five Board members.

Board of Education Member: Policy and Instruction Committee Chair

Department Director: Board of Education Services Office Executive Director

References:

Legal Cross Ref.:

• §22-5-4 NMSA 1978

Board Policy Cross Ref.:

• BD – Board of Education Organization
• BD1 – Board of Education Committees
• BE – Board of Education Meetings
• BE1 – Board of Education Meeting Agendas
• BE2 – Rules of Order

Procedural Directive Cross Ref.:       

NSBA/NEPN Classification: BD

Introduced: November 11, 2015
Adopted: November 18, 2015                                                         

This page was last updated on: January 11, 2016.