There was only one major action item on the agenda for Monday’s Newton Community School District regular Board of Education meeting — and the action was merely verbal guidance.
The board, along with Superintendent Bob Callaghan and the district’s four K-4 school principals, used a one-hour portion of Monday’s meeting to discuss internal communications. The main focus was on which items need to include the board in order for board members to be informed about developing issues.
The main recent example that seemed to highlight internal communication issues involves a letter mailed out to Emerson Hough Elementary School kindergarten parents, pointing out voluntary transfers to other campuses might be honored to alleviate an imbalance.
Emerson Hough had more kindergartners enrolled this year, based on 2016-17 attendance zone boundaries, than the other three newly configured K-4 schools.
“At my husband’s recent company picnic, I was asked about this letter,” board member Ann Leonard said. “I had to say I knew nothing about that. I don’t feel we have to know everything that goes on with every campus, but it would be nice to be informed about communications initiated to all parents of a school. I am not looking to critique or even defend administrators or other staff. I trust them, and I want to give informed support to what they do.”
Board Vice President Travis Padget said “It’s a hard piece to be caught off guard — it happens a lot.”
Board President Sheri Benson pointed out sometimes parents or concerned citizens circumvent teachers or principals, going directly to Callaghan, other administrators or board members. While it would help school board members to be better informed about developing situations or complaints, that won’t always be possible, but what is possible is to use email and other means to make it known a response was given.
Board members and principals agreed to have board members on an email list for communications sent out to all parents of a school or the entire district. Callaghan agreed to blind carbon-copy all board members in emails affecting an entire campus or the district as a whole.
One limitation that complicates board communication is the board is not permitted, under open meetings laws, to have a quorum discuss district business — even in email. Those discussions are required to be done in meetings that have dates and times published in advance to inform the public.
After Monday’s meeting, Callaghan said the district is open to feedback from the public about what it can specifically do to improve its communication with parents.
“There will always be room to strengthen and improve communication,” Callaghan said. “If a message wasn’t received, communication did not occur. The relationship between parents and administrators and staff is very important to us.”
Laura Selover handed over her principal’s duties in January to Mike Moran in order to focus more on her role as human resources director for the district. Her role includes internal communication, but Callaghan said her job duties also include external communication.
Selover, he said, can be contacted directly with a number of concerns, including registration, attendance center boundaries, busing and inter-district transfers. The administration office can be reached at 641-792-5809.
Board President Sheri Benson said she felt the district’s communications to parents this summer have been solid.
“From the processes I’ve witnessed, I think communication to parents has gone well,” Benson said. “I realize it’s been a busy summer, and it seems like there is a lot happening, and there is a great deal of parent anxiety with so many new pieces to put together. But I think things will settle down, and by Labor Day, we’ll all be into a routine.”
The board’s next regular meeting is set for Sept. 12.
Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com