The Role of the Board
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The role of the trustees who sit on a locally elected school board is to ensure that school districts are responsive to the values, beliefs and priorities of their communities. The board fulfills this role by performing three major responsibilities. These are setting direction; balancing and approving a district budget; and hiring and being the direct report of their sole employee - the superintendent. Authority is granted to the board as a whole, not each member individually. Therefore, board members fulfill these responsibilities by working together as a governance team with the superintendent to make decisions that will best serve all the students in the community. (Source: California School Boards Association)
Board Meetings
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IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING BOARD MEETING AGENDAS, PACKETS, MINUTES, AND VIDEOS
Visalia Unified Board meeting documents and videos may be found on Diligent Community, a Board meeting agenda management platform. The platform allows for easier navigation of Board meeting agenda packets, with intuitive and searchable design.The community can now stay informed with the latest updates by subscribing to receive SMS and/or email notifications as soon as Board meeting agendas are published on Diligent Community. Click here to access Diligent Community.
During the 2023-24 school year, Board meetings are typically held once a month, with a couple of exceptions. There are two meetings during the months of July, August, and June. Meetings are held in the Visalia Unified District Office Board Room, located at 5000 W. Cypress Avenue, Visalia. Board meetings are broadcast live at https://www.vusd.org/boardwebcast.
Board meetings open at 4:30 p.m., unless otherwise posted, before immediately adjourning to closed session. Should a member of the public wish to speak on an item on the closed session agenda, they are asked to arrive in person a few minutes before the 4:30 p.m. start time.
Regular session of Board meetings starts at 5:30 p.m., unless otherwise posted.
Board meeting agendas are posted at the District Office at 5000 W. Cypress Avenue, Visalia; on the district’s website; and on the district's Diligent Community platform at least 72 hours prior to a regular Board meeting. Special Board meeting agendas are posted at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
Each regular board meeting will be video recorded by the District, the recording will be made accessible to the public within 48 hours of the board meeting on Diligent Community and on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@VisaliaUSD/videos.
Types of Board Meetings
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Regular Meeting (normal, scheduled business meetings of the Board):
- The agenda must be posted at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
- Items not on the agenda may be considered under special circumstances.
- The public is allowed to address the Board, but the Board may set time limits.
Special Meeting (called before the next regularly scheduled board meeting, usually to meet time deadlines):
- The agenda must be posted at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
- Only items on the agenda may be considered.
- The public is allowed to address the Board, but only concerning items on the agenda for consideration.
Emergency Meeting (in the case of work stoppage or crippling disaster):
- A one-hour notice must be given by phone to local media.
- Only items listed on the agenda may be considered.
- Minutes should be taken and must be posted in public within 10 days.
Actions of the Board
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Discussion/Action
- Presented for review prior to Board action. The Board addresses these items during the meeting unless they are continued to a future meeting.
Consent Calendar
- Items that are considered to be routine and will be enacted in one motion. No discussion of these items will be held prior to the time the Board considers the motion unless an item is requested to be discussed or removed.
Information/Proposal
- Items presented to the Board for informational purposes or discussion.
Board/Superintendent Comments
- Allows individual Board members to share comments, concerns, observations, or request items be scheduled on a future agenda. The superintendent may also have information to present to the Board.
Resolution
- Expresses Board policy or directs certain types of administrative action.
Public Hearings
- A public hearing is designed to protect personal interests by permitting citizens to voice their position on an issue at hand. The Government Code prescribes the manner in which the hearing is to be conducted.
Public Comment at Board Meetings
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It is recommended that members of the public who wish to provide public comments in-person during a board meeting complete and submit a "request to speak" form before the start of the meeting or before the item comes up on the agenda. The form is available inside the board meeting room on the day of the meeting. During the meeting, speakers who have requested to address the Board in person will be called to do so. Comments relating to a public hearing are to be made during the public hearing. Comments on items that are on the agenda are to be made when the item is called by the Board President. Comments on matters that are not on the agenda are to be made during the "General Public Comment" time when called by the Board President. Pursuant to Board Bylaw 9323, the Board may limit individual comments to no more than 3 minutes and individual topics to 20 minutes.
Spanish-language interpretation is available. Participants who wish to comment in Spanish may do so and are asked to speak slowly and clearly to give interpreters time to capture the message accurately and completely.
To comply with the Brown Act, California’s open public meeting law, Board discussion is limited to items on the agenda. Therefore, when receiving public comment for items not on the agenda, the Board’s role is limited to receiving such comments and the Board may not engage in dialogue with the public. The Board thanks the public for its participation in public comment and understanding of the Board’s responsibilities.