Board Policy

Policy 260 — Governance Framework

Grasslands Public Schools

PREAMBLE

The Grasslands School Division Board of Trustees believes one of its primary functions is to establish policies and to assign responsibilities for the execution and implementation of policy. Written policies shall constitute a basic method by which the Board exercises its leadership in the operation of the school system. The Superintendent shall have the responsibility to develop and maintain the administrative procedures manual. Working Instructions that support administrative procedures shall be developed and maintained by their designated Document Owner.

The Division's governance framework consists of three tiers: Board policies that establish principles and strategic direction; administrative procedures that define operational rules and requirements; and Working Instructions that provide step-by-step guidance, templates, and compliance evidence supporting administrative procedures.

GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

The Division's governance documents are organized into three tiers, each with distinct purposes and approval authorities:

Board Policies

Board policies establish principles, strategic direction, and expectations for the Division. Policies are adopted by the Board through the three-reading process described in this policy and reviewed in accordance with guideline 14.

Administrative Procedures

Administrative procedures define operational rules, requirements, roles, and responsibilities that implement Board policy. Administrative procedures are developed and maintained by the Superintendent or designate and may be approved by the Superintendent or presented to the Board depending on scope and impact.

Working Instructions

Working Instructions provide step-by-step guidance, procedures, checklists, templates, and compliance records that support administrative procedures. Working Instructions are:

• Developed and maintained by the Document Owner.

• Approved by the responsible director or Senior Administration as appropriate.

• Marked RESTRICTED where they contain sensitive security or operational information.

• Required to identify a Document Owner and reference the administrative procedure(s) they support.

• Reviewed annually by the Document Owner or following a triggering event (legislative change, incident, system change).

GUIDELINES

1. The need for the development or amendment of a policy may be identified by a trustee, the administration, employees, students, parents, government agencies or community members.
2. This need for policy development or amendment shall be directed to the Superintendent or designate. The Superintendent or designate shall make the determination if the need is valid, in consultation with the Board when necessary.
3. Stakeholders shall be provided with appropriate opportunity for consultation and involvement in the development and/or review of policy.
4. A draft policy shall be presented to the Board by the Superintendent or designate for first reading before being circulated for wider response.
5. The Board may choose to adopt a proposed policy or amendment, at this point, if one or both of the following conditions apply:
   1. the proposed policy or amendment is exclusive to the Board operations and governance.
   2. the proposed amendment does not change the intent of the policy or guidelines.
6. If the above guideline (#5) does not apply, then the draft policy and guidelines, or the amendment, shall be circulated to administrators, the ATA Executive, and other persons or representatives of groups directly affected.
7. Once these parties have had time to respond to the draft for its consideration, any suggested amendments shall be forwarded to the Superintendent or designate.
8. The second draft of the policy and the committee's recommendation shall be presented to the Board for second reading.
9. If the second draft of the policy and guidelines is not significantly different from the first draft, the Board may have the third reading of the policy and guidelines at the same meeting.
10. If, however, the second draft has been significantly changed from the first draft, then this second draft shall be circulated again, following the second reading by the Board, to those persons and groups who had previously received the first draft.
11. Once these parties have had time to respond to the second draft, any further suggestions for modifications shall be forwarded to the Superintendent or designate who shall produce a third and final draft of the policy.
12. The third draft of the policy and guidelines shall be presented to the Board for the third reading and adoption.
13. Once adopted, a policy and guidelines shall be disseminated to Grasslands in-school administrators, department leaders, other applicable employee groups and posted on the division website.
14. The Superintendent or designate shall regularly review existing policies that are more than five years old and recommend that each be reaffirmed, amended or rescinded.
15. The Board may determine that a specific administrative procedure should be a policy, and have it converted to a policy.
16. Working Instructions shall be created when an administrative procedure requires detailed implementation guidance, templates, or compliance records to be implemented effectively. The Document Owner shall ensure Working Instructions remain current and aligned with the administrative procedures they support.
17. Working Instructions do not require Board approval but shall be made available to the Superintendent and Senior Administration upon request.