Soap Lake School District

About the Board:

The Board is composed of five district citizens elected by the district voters who serve staggered four-year terms. Their authority is established by the Washington State Legislature (in Section 28A of the Revised Code of Washington) and they act under the direction and restrictions of state law. Acting as secretary to the School Board, the Superintendent is responsible to them for implementing policies and for operation of the schools.

The Board recognizes that it has an obligation to the people of the Soap Lake School District to plan the best possible program of education and to expend revenues wisely.

Responsibilities:

The Board is responsible to:

• Establish general policy for the school system;

• Employ school personnel upon recommendation of the superintendent;

• Adopt and revise the annual operating budget;

• Exercise the legislative powers conferred or implied by the Legislature in administering school functions;

• Select and evaluate the Superintendent of Schools.

Meetings:

Board members welcome and appreciate community involvement and input regarding the operation of the district. They can better represent the community when district residents, students, staff members and parents take time to express their opinions and raise questions. All citizens are encouraged to attend Board meetings.

Public Comment at School Board Meetings:

The purpose of a regular School Board meeting is to conduct district business in an open and public forum. Public comment is included at regularly scheduled Board of Education meetings to provide community members an opportunity to address the Board on matters related to the school district.

The Soap Lake School Board welcomes civil, respectful, and concise comments that help inform its understanding of community interests and concerns. The Board uses the public comment period as an opportunity to listen to citizen concerns, but not to debate issues or enter into a question-and-answer session. Public comment allows the Board and Superintendent to hear issues that interest our community. It is not a time for dialogue between the speaker, Board or Superintendent.

Public Comment Guidelines:

To ensure meetings are conducted in an orderly and respectful manner, the following guidelines apply:

• Individuals wishing to provide public comment must sign up at the meeting.

• Comments regarding specific district staff members will not be accepted during public comment. Concerns or complaints regarding personnel issues should be submitted in writing and addressed through the process outlined in Board Policy 4220.

• Comments about ethnicity and/or the character or motives of individuals will not be tolerated.

• The Board President may interrupt, warn, or terminate public comment at their discretion if remarks interfere with the orderly conduct of the meeting or do not adhere to these guidelines.

The Board appreciates community engagement and values public input that supports respectful dialogue and effective governance.