And we have as a system aligned their evaluations with my evaluation because we're trying to create a vertical articulation throughout the system um to make certain that everyone is aligning to the goals and guard rails that the governing board has set. Does that help? >> Yes. Yes. Okay. Now moving on my next wondering or question. So when I'm at this policy 2201 evaluation of superintendent but then it's open with governing board shall conduct its annual self-evaluation like it reads this first opening paragraph reads very much as evaluation of the board. Do we have a separate policy for board self-evaluation or is this combined here? >> No, we do but I also think it's very important to set the tone. We are the commanders of chiefs of this district even though we have one employee. So I think starting it off with you know the the annual su super superintendent eval will you know happen after our annual like that that just makes sense.
I like that wording in there because it sets the tone that not only is we're requiring our superintendent to do it but as the governing board we're leading and doing that as well. But there is another section where that board self eval and it happens in a quarterly. It was in the 100s um docket or policies. >> And so basically what that just says is that you guys are going to do your board self-evaluation prior to the superintendent. >> Okay. >> We're going to evaluate our f ourselves first before we're evaluating our employee. >> Got it. >> It goes back to that parallel processing and vertical articulation. >> It's probably already in your accountability calendar. >> Yeah. And it's it's quarterly in the accountability calendar, so it should should be a pretty easy bar to hit. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> That was my second question if you guys are okay with that.
So you you asked >> I asked uh and to answer your question too was your guardrails are going to be part of that evaluation criteria. So So you should you should be able to address any of those issues that you may have. Okay. >> So is everybody okay with this uh language? >> Yes. All right. So, then we're moving on to chapter three. I hit all the edited versions in chapter two, right in there? >> Yes. >> All right. Perfect. >> All right. Chapter three, business operations. So, chapter 3 is the district's business and finance policy. There's 78 items total, uh, much of which is operational. So, SOFG does not remove fiscal oversight. Instead, it reframes it. The board sets the financial guardrails and fiscal accountability except expectations and administration manages procurement, accounting and operations within that fra framework. >> Uh so uh this trunch focuses on the sofal backbone for finance budget adoption and revenue.
The edited items here are policy 3-101 and procedure 3-101A and policy 3-102. So the edits in policy 3-101 budget adoption. So, this policy sets the board budget adoption responsibilities, requires public notice and hearing, including truth and taxation hearing when applicable. Uh, positions the budget as a resource plan that supports the board's student outcome goals and adds an SOFG requirement. The board adopts the budget only after determining it determining it aligns with goals and guard rails. So, budget is a governance governance tool under SOFG. It's how the board funds priorities tied to outcomes with guardrails, controlling risks and values. So, is the board comfortable with the policy explicitly linking budget adoption to goals guardrails alignment? >> Absolutely. >> All right. Perfect. And does the board want to combine hearings, budget, and truth and taxation when legally permissible as a standard practice? >> Yes. >> Yeah, that sounds perfect.
>> And that has been our practice in the past. I was just that's why I was thinking because sometimes it seems like it's a lot of information crammed in one. It doesn't. So that's why I was like but that just puts the responsibility back on of us of actually doing our homework and being engaged >> and it's often a timing challenge. Yeah. Not because of the board but because the legislature is really timely and providing us our annual budget. >> Yeah, that's fine. >> I'm sorry Russell, my computer's frozen. Do you guys want to take a quick break while we get that or we we move along? >> No, we can move along. >> All right. >> Okay. So, the next one, if everybody's okay with that, uh, is procedure 3-101A, budget adoption preparation. And so, what this procedure does, uh, this is the operational implementation tool.
It assigns preparation and submission responsibilities to the superintendent and staff. >> Yeah. Incorporate sitebased budget planning and tracks the required state deadlines. Uh so board policy defines the why and guardrails. Procedure def guard rails uh procedure defines the how. This is appropriate for administrative procedure. It is process driven. Is the board comfortable with budget preparation details staying in procedure with board policy focus on adoption priorities and monitoring? Yeah, I love this and I really think as we start implementing these new changes, we can really be like the shining stars when it comes to our budget and how we're doing our budgets in the district. This is great. >> And then the second question is, what monitoring reports does the board want during the year to tie budget implementation back to student outcomes? >> Uh, Mr. Shapiro, do you have any ideas on what that would look like or any suggestions that we can consider?
>> Whoopa. >> I think we do this currently process. I guess it's uh seems to be saying um providing something additional whereas uh kind of what we've done with our SOFG framework um has been to align it so closely that it's a part of the framework of the budget process. And so a lot of the things that we do within building the budget is in um efficiencies that were built. We've had these discussions as we were developing a resource aligned budget that developing uh resources and efficiencies are framework and they're kind of like breathing. So you don't think about them. You actually don't need to even recognize they're there because we've been doing the work and we've been articulating that work to the governing board through board meetings and board updates. So when we talk about a summary, I mean everything in the budget is is SOFG.
The whole budget is an SOFG budget. So it'd be really hard for me to pull out something that's, you know, to say, well, this part's the SOFG part. There isn't. The whole thing is. Um, but what we could potentially do is work with Lissa's team. Um, so we did this last year. Um, I can show it uh when we do our budget. um uh piece is that we were going to do something that was uh new and on top of the aligned budget and so we called that out in the budget process and we added that as a line item that was when we were um changing the coaching model. It was a pretty significant change for our district and we knew that it was entirely SOFG driven. So we added that in as a line item on the budget just to call the attention to the board.
Whereas in the board uh budget planning process in the back end, it was um already um in in the budget uh we called it out. U like we do the meet and confer dollars and some of the other items when we say uh when we start our budget update, we say if everything stays the same, um we think that this is going to go up, we think this is going to go down, we think we're going to have more of this or less of that. We kind of go through that process. So, I is the board wanting me to take that out of the budget process and put it into a summary? Um, I I I I mean, maybe this is something that we need a little bit more further discussion because I think we would like to see some kind of form on how that's being aligned versus what we've been receiving.
Um, because it's very broad. >> Um, but I'm not sure what that looks like. Miss Shapiro, like today you're going to be doing some work with the board. >> Yes. >> It'll be addressing some of these areas, correct? >> Well, it'll be discussing how we've done resource adjustments to align uh with efficiencies that support um student outcomes. >> Maybe we'll go through that first and then if we see any gaps, maybe we can discuss what that looks like because I haven't seen the fully obviously seen you present. So maybe that will answer some of these questions in itself >> and after we do that presentation maybe we can figure out if we need additional paperwork or what that looks like. >> Yeah. I mean I I want to give an example of something really quickly that would be a resource adjustment. Um so recently the board received an update and um it came to the board under the consent agreement for Commerce Bank >> and uh Commerce Bank uh process and relationship with them is moving our accounts payable from a very paper manual driven process to uh electronic uh a payments that'll be done automatically.
Um, so that not only increased the ability to get our vendors paid a lot quicker, um, but it also and more efficiently. Um, it also increased efficiencies in the finance department. And on a on a third level, um, we we're in a a revenue share agreement with Commerce Bank. So, um, we we actually get a portion of revenues back towards us, uh, just for processing our accounts payable. So those are the types of actions that we take to align our resources um under an SOFG lens. So it's uh increasing efficiency on a multiple levels and it's also uh uh becoming a revenue generator. It's not huge but it's but it's something. So those are the types of adjustments that we're making constantly. Um I do try to keep the board apprised through updates. So I guess I'm just trying to figure out how that how that would look.
I guess in a summary. So I mean maybe let's be thoughtful of that when we go through the budget presentation today about uh how many actions we're taking constantly especially on the operational side and how that would come to the board in a summary. I guess I my concern is I don't want there to be something that says well this is all we did um because we're doing a lot. We we check um we check that pulse constantly and daily uh when it comes to resource alignment. Well, and it may just be that we want. So, I think the timing of doing the budget work today is really appropriate, especially in alignment with the policy work that we're doing, the time of year, and some of the other conversations we're having around our student outcomes focused governance. And so it made us be that annually when we have this February um study session that one of the items that we include is this budgetary review overview summary right and so as we go through it today it'll having being fresh related to the policy I think to President Curio's point it'd be a great time for the board to be able to say what we see here that's helpful to us is the additional things that would be helpful would be these, right?
Because it'll all be fresh for us in that moment. >> Um that and also uh we're currently working as a team and um have some documentation that we're aligning all operational areas in and maybe it's just bringing that document uh that strategic document that we that we're working on. Um maybe it's bringing that document with the budget >> to look at all areas besides operational. >> Yeah, we can always provide more. Or I think what we need to establish is what the minimum is, right? >> Yeah. And having something um consistent >> and that it's it looks the same every year when it comes back. I I wouldn't want it to be something different every year. >> Correct. >> I think there is a solution in there. >> Okay. >> Is already in in the works and that we're working on right now. >> Okay.
Perfect. Thank you. >> Any other questions on this one? I think Superintendent Man is correct on that. I think uh part of this process like you guys are having your your board retreat today. I think maybe that that this presentation that you're going to get on the budget could incorporate this portion of it. Um and it's a good beta beta test for today. So the board likes it, they don't like it or what more information do they want >> to that. But >> uh I think practically that makes sense. Uh so moving on to policy 3-102 revenue. And so what this policy addresses uh this policy addresses revenue handling at the board level, bank accounts deposit/accounting expectations and annual investment authorization vote. This is a guardrail level fiscal uh integrity policy board oversight of revenue handling and investment authorization with administrative implementation through USFR and internal controls.
So is the board comfortable with the annual investment authorization vote remaining as the board level control point? >> Yes. All right. Well, that that was easy. And then so, uh, we're moving on to the next chapter, which is chapter 4, human resources. So, chapter 4, 33 items, many are legally driven. Uh, evaluations, discipline, termination, personnel records, mandatory reporting, etc. Most HR policies are compliance heavily heavy and soft often means keep what the board keep what must be board adopted or what the board wants as a guardrail. put operational mechanics in procedure and ensure superintendent authority is clear and consistent with board guard rails. So, we already talked about the prelim the preliminary notice. We're going to keep it as is. >> Uh that was really the big uh uh edit here in this chapter with respect to uh board approval prior or after. So, we're going to leave it as is on uh policy 2-101.
And so, that's it for this chapter because a lot of it is really statutory driven. >> Uh and a lot of it doesn't necessarily need to be in there uh based on statute. So, the next one that we're going to go through is chapter 5. Chapter 5 overview. Chapter 5 is a student facing policy. There's 72 items. Many of these are legally legally required. And so SOFG alignment usually means pres preserve required legal coverage, clarify board level guardrails, safety, safety, equity, due process, and move operational program implementation to administrative procedures were appropriate. Uh again, this chapter is largely not part of of today's discussion, but it's a major area for phase work because of statutory and federal requirements. >> Yeah. And I think eventually we would have our own study session in this because we have in our future agenda item a student um bill of rights that I eventually I want us to include in policy.
So I think this is a living breathing as as we get our ideas and get that started going implemented because just how we have expectations of ourselves and our superintendent I want the adults in this institution to know what their responsibilities are when inter you know interacting with kids and their expectations on what students would want out of us as the adults in the institution. So, I think this is a a livable um and we'll have to, you know, go back and discuss this chapter. >> Yeah. And that's going to be one where we're going to need to heavily collaborate with the superintendent >> uh just because it is one of, like you said, the main reason for being superintendent is for student outcomes and this is all that's about >> uh and their required protections. So, so yeah, and again, just to kind of reiterate, a lot of this stuff is required to be in here because of statute and uh state statute, federal statute, all that good stuff.
So, uh we're going to have to go through this one through a fine uh pig comb. So, >> and Mr. Castillo um our our board vice president uh Gibson Mlan and I sit exeicio with a board um created committee that's actually reviewing all of the student conduct policies currently. So there there will be some recommendations for some changes to student conduct policies coming forward in the spring and our current policy uh set does include some uh previous recommendations from that group. In fact, um, Miss Marquez was one of the members of that committee prior to becoming a board member here in the district. >> Awesome. >> So, we'll we'll we'll, uh, roll up our sleeves on that chapter. Uh, along with all your guys' recommendations and help on that. And so, that's pretty much we're we're wrapping up the big main uh, topics for today were chapter one and chapter two, uh, aligning your practices and processes and putting them into policy.
And so again, the key takeaways for today are confirm the board's policy versus procedure threshold under the SFG governance level direction uh you know operational detail moves to administrative regulation procedure were legally permissible and I already got direction on what I needed on the conflict and the preliminary notice and again president I know she stepped out and but governing board members I'm happy to walk back through any specific policy or help frame decision points for discussion with the superintendent and governance coach when appropriate. I'm laughing because I didn't know we had a patriotic exercises and observance days. And then under Declaration of Independence, it says, "Each student in grades four through six shall recite the following passage from the Declaration of Independence at the commencement of the first class of the school day." Um, >> wait, where's that? >> That seems a little excessive. Just Sorry, I was going down a rabbit hole.
>> I know. I was like, is this required? But we obviously are not doing this. >> Is this one of these procedures required? >> No, I think statute. >> No, no, this is a policy. We have 5201 patriotic exercises and observance days because I was like, what is that? And then there's some interesting things in here. Anyway, >> there was a statute last year related to that policy. So, um I'm assuming the policy complies with that statute, but that's certainly one we would want to look at to verify that it is not exceeding the statutory requirements. Yeah, I was curious cuz I thought, wow, are people in grades four through six actually doing this every morning? >> Yeah, this might be a conversation for next Wednesday. >> Okay, our junior high seventh and eighth graders need to have legible copy of Constitution adjacent to each classroom flag.