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Table of Contents

Policy 100.01 – Board Governance

POLICY NUMBER:
100.01

ADOPTED:
6.6.2023

Board Governance

It is the policy of Canyons School District Board of Education to establish protect, and promote student learning and school success; exercise all its statutory powers; obey all relevant laws and regulations; and conform to the highest ethical standards.

Body Corporate: As provided by Utah law, the Board of Education of Canyons School District is a body corporate, and has an official seal conformable to its name. A “body corporate” is a public corporation and legal subdivision of the state, vested with the powers and duties of a government entity.

Instructional Priority: The Canyons Board of Education recognizes student education and welfare as its top priority and that it should be central to all decisions and actions of the Board.

Board’s Powers and Duties: The Board has the legal power and duty to do all things necessary for the maintenance, prosperity and success of the students. The Board’s legal powers and duties are set forth in this policy, but are not necessarily limited to the listed powers and duties:

  • Adopt rules and govern: Prepare and adopt rules, policies, procedures, and regulations for the governance of the District and its schools.
  • Levy taxes: Establish tax rates each year and submit them to the county legislative body as required by statute.
  • Annual budget: Prepare and adopt an annual budget for each fiscal year and file it with the county legislative body as required by statute.
  • Bequests: Receive gifts, bequests, donations or other monies or funds which are made for educational purposes.
  • Acquisition and ownership of property/eminent domain: Acquire, hold, lease, sell, and manage the use of real and personal property in the name of the District.
  • Employ personnel: Employ by contract the superintendent and business administrator, and approve contracts and salary schedules for administrators and staff of the district.
  • Close school and change school boundaries: Close school or suspend operations of schools or boundaries after public notice and a hearing.
  • Corporation: Sue and be sued in the name of the District.
  • Fulfill other statutory duties and powers.

POLICY NUMBER:
100.01-1

APPROVED:
6.6.2023

The Canyons School Board of Education fulfills its powers and duties by:

Meetings of the Board of Education - 100.01-1

In order to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, the Board of Education will regularly conduct the following meetings:

  1. Board Business Meeting:
    1. Official action by the Board on District policy and oversight issues via vote (A quorum (4 members) must be present for a vote to be taken by the Board)
      1.  Proxy voting of Board Members is not allowed.
    2. Discussion of issues that come before the Board for official action
    3. Receive reports from the staff on District implementation of programs and management of policies
    4. Receive Board member’s reports on committee assignments and issues
    5. The Board shall allow for a reasonable opportunity for the public to provide verbal and written comments.
      1.  The Board may limit public verbal and written comments to topics that are germane to the authority of the Board;
      2. Public verbal and written comments is limited to residents, students, parents of current students, and current employees of the District, except with prior approval of Board Leadership.
    6. As required by statute, public comment will be taken for a budget hearing, truth in taxation hearing, and Board member compensation adjustments
  2. Board Study Session:
    1. Study current Board issues, programs, and proposals
    2. Inform and educate the Board and public on Superintendent/Staff ‘working’ recommendations on proposed programs and ongoing issues
    3. Professional Development for Board members
    4. While the public is welcome at a Board Study session, public comment is generally not taken
  3. Closed Session:
    1. Discussion of the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual
    2. Strategy sessions to discuss collective bargaining or pending or imminent litigation
    3. Strategy sessions to discuss the purchase, exchange, sale, or lease of real property
    4. Discussion regarding deployment of security personnel, devices, or systems
    5. Investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct
  4. Board meetings are conducted using basic parliamentary procedures.
    1. All motions require a second and may be amended prior to vote
    2. Only one (1) main motion can be active at a time
    3. The Board President runs the meeting, introducing the item, recognizing speakers, repeating the motion before the vote, summarizing the vote
    4. The Board President can make motions, second motions, and vote on all motions
    5. If there is a challenge by any Board member in a meeting as to the procedures being followed, it will be resolved by reference to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th edition) unless the rules are suspended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present
  5. Construction of the Board Meeting Agenda:
    The Board shall prepare an agenda for all regular and special Board meetings and ensure that copies are distributed as required by the Open and Public Meetings Act. In preparing the agenda, the following procedures will be followed:
    1. Board members, the Superintendent and the Business Administrator may formally request an item to be placed on the agenda by notifying Board Leadership by email. For an item to be placed on the meeting agenda in a timely manner, at least three Board Members should request it. Four or more Board members may request an item to be added to the next meeting agenda.
    2. The Board Leadership will review all items submitted for the agenda with the Superintendent. A draft of the agenda will be sent to Board members, the Superintendent, and the Business Administrator prior to being publicly posted. Support information for the agenda items shall be provided to Board members prior to the meeting. A Board member may request that an item be moved from the consent agenda to allow for a discussion by the Board on the item before a vote by the Board.
  6. Electronic Meetings:
    1. The Board authorizes its meetings to be held by electronic means when necessary to facilitate Board member participation in Board meetings when physical presence is not possible, as permitted pursuant to Utah Code §52-4-207.
    2. Definitions:
      1. Anchor location: a designated physical location where the Board would normally meet, from where the electronic meeting originates or from which participants are connected.
      2. Electronic notice: email or phone text.
      3. Monitor: hear and/or see, live, all statements made by each Board member in the meeting (by speaker, computer screen or other medium).
      4. Participate: members of the public are able to communicate with Board members in the meeting, such that each Board member can hear or see the communication.
    3. An electronic Board meeting may be held upon a request of a member of the Board and approval of Board Leadership. The request must be made at least three (3) days prior to the scheduled Board meeting so arrangements can be made for the electronic meeting. 
    4. Board Leadership shall make reasonable efforts to give notice of the electronic meeting to all other Board members at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting, including a description of the electronic connection.
    5. Public notice of an electronic meeting:
      1. In addition to providing and posting notices required for other Board meetings, the Board shall provide at least twenty-four (24) hours advance written or electronic notice of an electronic meeting.
      2. The Board shall also post written notice of the electronic meeting at the anchor location at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the electronic meeting.  Notices shall specify the anchor location of the meeting.
    6. Public access to electronic meetings:
      1. Space and facilities shall be provided at the anchor location of an electronic meeting to permit members of the public to attend and monitor the electronic meeting (except those portions of such a meeting which have been properly closed to the public by the Board). If the Board meeting is one at which comments from the public will be accepted, then the space and facilities shall also permit members of the public to participate in the electronic meeting.  
    7. A Board member’s presence at a meeting by electronic means (voice and/or video) shall be announced at the meeting and noted in the minutes.
      1.  A remote Board member attending by voice and/or video is included in calculating a quorum.
    8. Participation by electronic means of less than a majority of Board members at a regularly scheduled public Board meeting does not constitute an electronic meeting.

POLICY NUMBER:
100.01-2

APPROVED:
6.6.2023

Election of Board Officers and Duties - 100.01-2

By state statute, in the first Board Business meeting of January following a general election, the Board elects a President and Vice-President to serve a two (2) year term. The Board may appoint other officers from time to time following established procedure herein and according to Utah Code §53G-4-304. No extra compensation, power, or authority is given to the Board officers than that for other Board members except as set forth in Board policy.

  1. Procedures for Election of Board officers: The following procedures, utilized for electing one officer at a time, will be used for selecting a Board member to serve for each office:
    1. Nominations: Any Board member may make a nomination for any office, including the nomination of one-self. Nominations do not need to be seconded. A motion, a second, and a vote will close nominations.
    2. Voting: To be elected an officer, a nominee must receive a majority of the votes cast. Voting shall be by roll call. Candidates for an office shall be voted on according to the order of nominations. The first nominee to receive a majority of the votes cast is elected to the office and the voting ceases for that office.
  2. Duties of the President
    The President shall:
    1. Preside at all meetings of the Board, appoint all committees, and sign all warrants ordered by the Board to be drawn upon the Business Administrator for school money (See, Utah Code §53G-4-205)
    2. Work with the Vice-President and the Superintendent to create Board meeting agendas and approves them for publication
    3. Ensure Board meetings are conducted appropriately according to federal and state laws and Board policy
    4. Speak for the Board as a whole after a vote, but otherwise the President has no authority to supervise or direct the administration
    5. Counsel with individual Board members regarding appropriate behavior, actions, and conduct
  3. Duties of the Vice-President
    The Vice-President shall:
    1. In the absence of the President, fulfill the role and responsibility of the office of President
    2. Work with the President in creating Board meeting agendas, and other tasks as assigned by the President

POLICY NUMBER:
100.01-3

APPROVED:
6.6.2023

Work Committees Outside of Board of Education Meetings - 100.01-3

  1. Representation on outside Boards and organizations:
    In their capacity as Board members, Board members may participate in community and educational organizations that are aligned with the mission of Canyons School District as approved by the Board of Education.
  2. Committees:
    Committees may be used to assist the Board in its duties. All committees formed by the Board may include Board members. If a committee includes four (4) or more Board members, the committee shall comply with Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act. Other participants on a committee will be assigned by the administration or selected from the community at the invitation of the Board. Board committees will have ongoing responsibility and may use task forces or focus groups to assist with specific topics or issues. Board committees do not have authority to make decisions for the Board; however, their work can assist the full Board in making better decisions.
  3. Task force/focus group:
    The Board may form a task force or focus group on an ad-hoc basis to address specific issues within an allotted amount of time, and it is then discharged when the task is completed. These groups serve as fact-finding, deliberative, and advisory bodies that submit reports to the Board. The administration will coordinate and facilitate these groups. As directed by the Board, Board members may participate with these ad-hoc groups.

Document History

Revised – 6.6.2023. – Policy 100.01-Board Governance was updated pursuant to H.B. 21 – Open and Public Meetings Act (2023).  To align with the statutory updates, the following policy adjustments were made: 
– The Board Business Meeting provisions were aligned with statutory language to allow a reasonable opportunity for the public to provide verbal and written comments.  
– The Board may limit public verbal and written comments to topics that are germane to the authority of the Board.
– Public verbal and written comments is limited to residents, students, parents of current students, and current employees of the District, except with prior approval of Board Leadership
– A remote Board member attending by electronic means (voice and/or video) is included in calculating a quorum.
– For Election of Board Officers, voting shall be by roll call.
– Proxy voting of Board Members is not allowed. 
Revised – 5.19.2020. – Update pursuant to Governor’s Executive Order issued on March 18, 2020 for public entities to adopted provisions for electronic meetings.  The Board of Education authorized provisions for electronic meetings under Utah Code §52-4-207.   
Adopted –  1.6.2015.

This online presentation is an electronic representation of the Canyons School District’s currently adopted policy manual. It does not reflect updating activities in progress. The official, authoritative manual is available for inspection in the office of the Superintendent located at 9361 South 300 East Sandy, UT 84070.

Lucie Chamberlain

Alta View Elementary

If a movie about super teachers were ever made, Lucie Chamberlain would be a prime candidate for a leading role. Fortunately for her kindergarten students at Alta View Elementary, she already thrives in a supporting role for them. Parents thank her for being a “super teacher.” She is also described as an “amazing colleague.” Whether students need help in the classroom or from home while sick, Lucie goes above and beyond to help them learn, overcome fears, and feel important and cared for. Lucie is the reason a number of kids went from hating school to loving it, according to parents. The way she exudes patience, sweetness, positive energy, and love for her students with special needs melts is appreciated and admired. One parent noted: “Both my kids wish she could be their teacher forever.” Another added:  “She treats every student like their learning and their feelings are her priority.” Super teacher, indeed!

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