Eau Claire school board to consider new governing structure

Sarah Seifert, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·5 min read

Apr. 19—EAU CLAIRE — The Eau Claire school board on Monday is set to vote on adopting a new way of governing Eau Claire schools.

The coherent governance model was created by the consulting firm Aspen Group of Alabama.

Under the coherent governance model, a school board steps back from making specific operational decisions, but instead creates broader policies outlining what results they want to see. The superintendent and school administrators must then implement policies to achieve those results. The school board monitors those results throughout the year.

Eau Claire school board President Tim Nordin, who has spoken in favor of the coherent governance model in the last year, described the model as "redefining the job of the school board."

"The real role of the school board is governing the school district. That means setting expectations for what we want the graduates of the Eau Claire school district to look like, and this governance model helps us to focus on those results," Nordin said. "The board will be monitoring the operations of the district, but giving the superintendent the authority to make those decisions on how the district operates, because that's who we've hired to educate the students."

The Eau Claire school board's proposed policy states: "The Board's major focus will be on student results rather than on the choices or decisions made by the Superintendent and staff to achieve those results."

Nordin said the school board would not step back or relinquish its authority to the superintendent if it adopts the coherent governance model, but that it will demand more data on each of its policies.

In March, the school board examined data from the district's school resource officer program. Several school board members expressed concern that according to the data, school resource officers generally had more contacts with students of color than they did with white students during the 2020-21 school year. After discussion, the board sent the matter to its Policy & Governance Committee for further study.

Under the coherent governance model, the school board would consider SRO data as part of a larger framework of student safety, Nordin said.

"If there are disparities, then we'll look at it there," Nordin said. "The board could say one of our areas of concern is school discipline ... and say that we have an expectation that this proportionality in our district, of any type, will be modified and addressed. From there, we expect that the administration will look at and find ways to combat those things. If the board is not satisfied with that, we'd continue to have that discussion ... we'll continue to demand work on it."

The board has discussed coherent governance in work sessions for over a year.

If the school board votes tonight to adopt the coherent governance model:

* The board would develop "results" policies, which will direct the superintendent on what results they want to see, and "operational expectations" policies, which would outline the board's broader values about operational decisions.

* The superintendent would then have the authority to create new policies and make new decisions to achieve the results the school board sets.

* The board could change its results and operational expectations policies.

* The board would direct school employees only through the superintendent.

* Two of the school board's committees — the Policy and Governance committee and the Budget Development committee — wouldn't function in the same way, Nordin said. The Policy and Governance committee will shift its work to the school board as a whole. The Budget Development committee would continue to meet and work through April 2022, to transition its duties to the full board and to continue working on a potential spring 2022 referendum.

If the board approves the coherent governance model at today's meeting, it right now isn't planning to hire a consultant to assist with the transition, Nordin said.

The proposed coherent governance policies are posted on the board's website, tinyurl.com/29tky6uv, under the April 19 school board meeting agenda. The policies can also be found at tinyurl.com/k7xyd787 and at tinyurl.com/sk83ham8.

Some Wisconsin school boards have adopted the coherent governance model, including the Chippewa Falls, Racine, Sun Prairie and DeForest school boards.

Also on the school board's agenda:

* The board is slated to meet at 6 p.m. in closed session to discuss evaluating the superintendent. It will meet in open session at 7 p.m.

* The board will hold a public hearing on a waiver from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Wisconsin school districts that request the DPI waive an instructional hour requirement due to the COVID-19 pandemic must first hold a public hearing. The Eau Claire school board held a public hearing for the same reason in April 2020.

* The board is set to award bids for several scheduled construction projects, including a gym floor and parking lot at North High School, a culinary lab project at North and Memorial high schools, a parking lot project at Longfellow Elementary School and a water main project at Sam Davey Elementary School.

* The board will also vote on making slight changes to the district's open enrollment policy, specifically involving special education students who open-enroll in the district.

* The board will vote on changing its facility use registration fee to an annual use fee instead.

* The board will hear a presentation on an equine and ranch-related education program that's been piloted at South Middle School since 2016. That program, which partners the school district with Eleva youth nonprofit Acres for Joy, expanded this year to include Northstar and DeLong middle schools and McKinley Charter School, according to the school district.