CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After 20 years, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board has revamped its current board governance policy to allow for board members to have more of a say on presented policies and offer up policies of their own.

For two decades, the School Board has abided by the current governance model, which delegated much of the policy approval authority to the director of schools through careful policy monitoring and board supervision.

On Tuesday night, the board approved a new “executive limitation” that would establish a change in procedures for reviewing and approving policies by the board.

What is policy governance?

In 2003, under Schools Director Sandra Husk, and in an effort led by board member Jim Mann, the board scrapped its old procedures and adopted the “policy governance” model. The model, inspired by John Carver, allows a board to focus on larger issues by delegating some of its authority to management in order to achieve the organization’s goals and fulfill the mission.

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The CMCSS model entrusts the director of schools with the authority to execute the decisions of the board without the board members getting “bogged down” in the details.

During the CMCSS Board retreat, it was explained that the CMCSS board “loosely” follows Carver’s model due to various legal requirements.

Proposed changes

During the CMCSS formal board meeting on Tuesday night, the board members reviewed the current model and considered modifications proposed by board member Aron Maberry.

Under the proposal, the director must share any new or updated policies with the board at least 10 days before reviewing them with the leadership team. It would also give the board more control, as members can request that any policy be discussed in their study sessions, ensuring they have a say in any changes.

The change, under the name “Executive Limitation 14,” could slow down the implementation process since policies can’t be put into action until after the board has finished their review or officially approved them. It also allows for the board to make adjustments to its own rules on what the director can or can’t do.

EL-14 would also come with its own annual monitoring process, a report that would be delivered every June.

Tuesday night, EL-14 garnered support from CMCSS administration as well as the School Board. It was approved unanimously. Jimmie Garland was absent.

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