BOARD OPERATIONS

The school board is a legal entity created by and governed by state statutes. The school board is also a representative body for the community. Citizens elect school board members to represent them as well as the state in the governance of local schools. The board is responsible for implementing statutory requirements, creating policy, overseeing operations, overseeing the direction of the district, appointing the superintendent, and representing the desires of the community. While the board has an obligation to determine and assess citizen desires, it is understood that, upon being elected, board members are endowed with the authority to exercise their best judgement in making decisions. The school board also has the unique advantage of continuous communication from the superintendent on all district matters, some of which may not be widely known or publicly available.

Board meetings are held in public, but are not public meetings, pursuant to open meetings law. Community members may attend meetings or live stream meetings via our district YouTube channel. At board meetings, members discuss and take action on agenda items, which are high level, compliance based, and strategic. The agenda aligns with the concept of the board as an oversight body, rather than an enforcement body. These meetings are also a chance for the board to hear input and reports from administration.

Workshop Meetings: These meetings are the first meeting of the month, at which initial information is provided regarding action items for the upcoming business meeting.

Business Meetings: These meetings are the second meeting of the month, at which the board takes action on agenda items. The board can take action at two points--board action items and board consent agenda. Board action items generally include issues that require additional discussion. The board consent agenda includes routine business items that likely do not require additional discussion (resignations, hires, accepting minutes of previous meetings, etc.). By using the consent agenda format, the board takes action on a group of items in one motion, rather than having individual motions for each item, which streamlines the meeting. Board members do, however, have the option to remove items from the consent agenda for discussion, by a majority vote. The board thoroughly reviews agenda items before they go to a meeting. Supporting documentation is provided and questions can be asked of the administration in advance so that board members are prepared to take action. Please note that a full board discussion legally cannot happen prior to / outside of a board meeting.  

Closed Meetings: A closed meeting is an “executive session” that, by statute, is not open to the public. Topics that legally can be addressed include: personnel and employment, consideration of personal information, and conferring legal counsel with respect to litigation--a full explanation is available in Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1). With certain limited exceptions, no official action can be taken on issues discussed in closed session without first returning to open session.

Public Hearing: Certain district matters, such as budget adoption or tax exemptions, require a public hearing (as directed by law or district policy). These matters tend to be the sole agenda item. Similar to workshop and business meetings, the community can participate in a hearing. The difference is that, by law, allowing participation is required at a public hearing, while allowing participation at regular meetings is optional. However, Whitnall allows participation at all meetings. Any related action will occur during a future business meeting.

The board thoroughly reviews agenda items before they go to a meeting. Supporting documentation is provided and questions can be asked of administration in advance so that board members are prepared to take action. Additionally, most action items are presented and discussed at the workshop meeting prior. Please note that a full board discussion legally cannot happen before / outside of a board meeting.

Click here to view agenda items, purpose, and timeline for posting

The board relies on the superintendent and her designees for operations and for the enforcement of policies. A chain of command exists in school districts, as it does in all organizations. It is important that a concern first be addressed by the person closest to the concern, which is typically not a school board member.

First reference the district contact chart to make sure the board is the best place to start.

Email: You can email individual board members or the entire board. Their emails can be found on our board directory page. When an email is sent to all board members, the board president responds on behalf of the board. If the email includes the superintendent, the superintendent may respond on the board’s behalf, if the questions or concerns are better addressed by the superintendent. 

Submit a public comment: Any district resident or parent of an enrolled student having a legitimate interest in an agenda item may participate. Public comments can be submitted in writing until 3 PM prior to the scheduled meeting time. Written comments are to be submitted to jrotgers@whitnall.com. Please include your comment, which agenda item it relates to (comments are limited to agenda items), your full name and address, and whether or not you would like your comment to be read aloud during the meeting. If you would like your comment to be read aloud, please make sure it can be read in three minutes or less; the board will only read up to three minutes of each comment. The board respectfully asks that comments remain focused on the issues but not specific personnel, as personnel is handled through other avenues.

Attend and make a public comment: Any district resident or parent of an enrolled student having a legitimate interest in an agenda item may participate. Comments are limited to agenda items. Attendees must register their intention to speak upon their arrival at the meeting. Participants are to preface their comments by announcing their name and address and group affiliation, when appropriate. Public comments are limited to three minutes per speaker and twenty minutes in total, unless extended by a vote of the board. No participant may speak more than once on the same topic. Comments are to be directed to the entire board; no person may address or question board members individually.

Please reference the district contact chart. The district’s administrative staff is capable of handling most questions and requests for information. Matters relating to a particular school or teacher should be directed to the principal of that building. If your inquiry is something districtwide, you are welcome to contact the district office and speak with the most relevant director or the superintendent. As a final step or if your inquiry relates to a board decision, you are welcome to contact school board members directly. Their contact information is available on our board directory page.

Board members spend considerable additional personal time obtaining professional board training and acting as liaisons to school parent groups and community groups. Our board members serve on subcommittees, attend board retreats, and participate in additional meetings related to continuous improvement. Furthermore, you will often see them showing their support at athletic events, concerts, community events, etc.v