SCHOOL BOARD BYLAWS
Committees and Boards

A. Generally

1. Creation

When in the opinion of the School Board, educational concerns need to be addressed which require longer term study, analysis and/or oversight and which concerns lend themselves to a committee approach, committees comprised of School Board members either alone or in conjunction with members of the administration and/or the public-at-large may be created by the Board. The Board shall describe the objectives of such committee in its minutes or other writing and provide it to the committee.

2. Authority

The committee(s) shall have only such authority to bind the School Board as is expressly vested therein by the School Board and shall have only such powers of the School Board as are expressly vested therein or which, by implication, are reasonably necessary to accomplish the stated purpose(s).

3. Assignments

In addition to assignments to Student Discipline Committees as described in Section C.3 below, each new School Board member shall be appointed within thirty (30) days of assuming office to committees as practical, with each member being assigned to at least one (1) committee. As much as possible, committee appointments shall be equally distributed among School Board members, consistent with their abilities, experiences, expressed interests, continuity of service and the needs of the School Board.

4. Individual Authority

Individual School Board members appointed to any committee shall have no authority to bind the School Board on any matter unless such authority is expressly granted by the School Board.

5. Reports

School Board committee members shall report to the School Board on committee activities when and in the format designated by the School Board.

6. Committee Chairmen

Unless otherwise expressly determined by the School Board, all School Board committees shall be chaired by a member of the School Board who shall be specially designated and determined by the School Board upon recommendation of the Chairman.

B. Meetings

1. Chairman

Meetings shall be presided over by the committee chairman or a designee in the chairman's absence.

2. Location

Meetings shall be held in the School Board meeting room unless otherwise determined.

3. Public Access

Meetings shall be open to the public but a School Board committee may close all or a portion of its meeting as permitted by the VirginiaFreedom of Information Act.

4. Notices of Meetings by Chairman

The chairman of each School Board committee, or the staff member assigned to assist a committee as in the case of student discipline committee, shall provide the Board clerk notice of the date, time, and location of committee meetings so that the Board clerk can give the public notice of meetings at least three working days prior to the committee meeting and make available to the public nonexempt written materials provided committee members for a committee meeting as required by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The chairman of each School Board committee, or the staff member assigned to assist the committee, shall make available to the public, upon request, nonexempt materials furnished to committee members for the meeting.

5. Rules of Order

Committee meetings shall be run in accordance with the current edition of Robert'sRules of Order Newly Revised.

C. Standing Committees

The committees listed below shall be considered standing committees of the School Board and the chairman shall seek approval from the School Board for all committee member appointments. The chairman shall take into consideration the experience of Board members, interest and diversity of membership, and continuity of membership to the committee. The chairman of each committee shall be selected by the School Board members within each standing committee. In the alternative, the chairman may nominate sufficient Board members to constitute the committee. Additional nominations may be made by members of the Board.

1. Internal Audit Committee

The Internal Audit Committee consists of three members, including two members of the School Board and a third member from the business community. The Internal Audit Committee assists the full School Board in considering internal and external audit matters, including the timely reporting to the School Board of material actions or inactions of school employees that become known to the committee that could lead to charges of malfeasance in office by School Board members. The Internal Audit Committee has established the Office of Internal Audit, which reports directly to the Internal Audit Committee, and through the Internal Audit Committee, to the full School Board, as more particularly set forth in Policy 3-46 and the Internal Audit Charter.

2. Legislative Committee

The legislative committee consists of three or four members, including two or three members of the School Board and the appropriate Executive Assistant to the Superintendent. The legislative committee is responsible for the development of the division's proposed annual legislative package. The legislative package, priorities and positions shall be based upon input from the Board and the Superintendent. The committee is also responsible for developing the division's Regional Legislative position and for acting as the division's liaison to the General Assembly.

3. Student Discipline Committees

The Chairman shall appoint three committees of the board to hear discipline cases as needed. Each committee shall consist of three (3) voting School Board members and one (1) nonvoting guidance counselor. Each member of a committee excluding the guidance counselor has authority to make motions and vote on that committee. Each committee shall meet to determine cases dealing with expulsions and long-term suspensions as set forth in School Board Policy or regulation. A unanimous decision of a committee consisting of three Board members regarding long-term suspensions and expulsions is final. If a committee's decision is not unanimous, or if the decision is made by a committee of less than three (3) School Board members, the decision of the committee may be appealed to the full School Board.

D. Ad Hoc Committees

Upon an affirmative vote of the School Board, an ad hoc School Board committee shall be appointed, as the need arises, to carry out a specified task, at the completion of which - that is, on presentation of its final report to the School Board, it automatically ceases to exist. The Chairman shall seek approval from the School Board for committee member appointments.

E. Non-School Board Committees within the Division

The School Board may name Board members to serve as members of committees not created by the School Board to engage in its business. In those instances, the appointed Board members serve only as emissaries to the committee and have no authority to bind the School Board on any matter. The Superintendent shall provide a list of all non-School Board committees to the School Board at its annual organizational meeting. The Chairman shall seek approval from the School Board for all committee member appointments. The Chairman shall take into consideration the experience of Board members, interest and diversity of membership, and continuity of membership to the committee. In the alternative, the Chairman may nominate sufficient Board members to constitute the committee. Additional nominations may be made by members of the Board.


Non-School Board Committees within the Division include:

1. Diversity Awareness Task Force
2. Building Utilization Committee

F. Outside School Division Committees, Organizations and Boards

The School Board may name Board members to serve as members of committees not created by the School Board to engage in its business or as delegates to or on boards of external organizations. In those instances, Board members have authority to bind the School Board for the limited purpose for which the committee or organization exists. The Superintendent shall provide a list of all committees outside of the school division to the School Board at its annual organizational meeting. The Chairman shall seek authorization from the School Board to appoint members to each committee. The Chairman shall take into consideration the experience of Board members, interest and diversity of membership, and continuity of membership to the committee. In the alternative, the Chairman may nominate sufficient Board members to the committee. Additional nominations may be made by members of the Board.

Outside School Division Committees, organizations or boards include:

1. Access - Tidewater Scholarship Board
2. CUBE-National Affiliate Advocacy Information Network (NSBA)
3. Governor's School for the Arts
4. HRPESA - Hampton Roads Public Education Services Agency
5. Mayor's Committee for the Disabled
6. SECEP-Southeastern Cooperative Educational Program
7. VSBA-Virginia School Board Association
8. WHRO Board
9. The Virginia Beach/Jamestown 2007 Steering Committee.

Editor's Note
The School Board appoints individuals to Community Advisory Committees such as the
Advisory Committee on Gifted Education and Special Education Advisory Committee as required by law.

Adopted by School Board: July 21, 1992
Amended by School Board: April 19, 1994
Amended by School Board: January 3, 1995
Amended by School Board: August 17, 1999
Amended by School Board: February 20, 2001
Amended by School Board: August 7, 2001
Amended by School Board: August 21, 2001
Amended by School Board: May 28, 2002
Amended by School Board: August 6, 2002