The Chart below shows how many of the total meetings attended by each Board member were standing committee meetings (blue bars), and how many were Regular Meetings and Committee of the Whole meetings (orange bars). The chart is used to show where members’ priorities lie; do they attend the informational and dialogue session on an issue, which are the committee meetings, or do they normally just show up at the Regular Meeting and vote “Aye?” For example, the chart shows that Jim Shmerling appeared twice for his committee assignments, he appeared once for the Finance & Audit committee, and once for the Policy committee. Mr. Shmerling also appeared once for a Committee of the Whole meeting, and 8 times to vote “Aye” at the Regular Meeting. There are four standing committees; Family & Community Engagement, Finance & Audit, Policy, and Teaching & Learning. The members of these standing committees are assigned by the Board’s Chairman, Phillip Riguer, with approval of the Board. These meetings are where new business is introduced with informational presentations and members present ask questions of the presenters.

Below are charts for the Regular Board Meetings and the Committee of the Whole meetings, two gatherings where full member attendance ought to be expected. The Regular Board Meetings are the critically important meetings, this is where matters receive a final vote for acceptance or rejection, or, in the case of this Board, where they simply accept everything with barely a whimper. In 2022, the Board accepted every issue which was placed before it for a vote; 106 issues accepted, zero rejected.

The four charts below represent those members attending one of the 4 standing committees. The bars in red, represent those members who were assigned to that committee. You do not have to have been assigned to a particular committee to attend that committee’s monthly meeting. By virtue of their being on the full Board, all members are also “ex officio” members of each standing committee, with full voting rights. However, according to State law, ex officio members, although they may vote, they are not counted in determining a quorum during a committee meeting. It appears that on at least 3 occasions in 2022, the committee was inquorate but still acted on issues, moving them forward, without a vote, to the Regular Meeting, where issue deliberation goes to die.

The disengagement of Board members, evidenced by their absenteeism, is also evident when they are “in attendance,” but not really “present.” The standing committees are held virtually through Zoom. Members usually appear in an environment suitable for participating in a meeting where the future of your child is being discussed. On other occasions, however, we only hear the voice of the “attending” member, who may be in a car taking the kids to practice or the dog to the vet. Their distracted “attendance” at the meeting prevents them from focusing and from receiving all information necessary to participate in an intelligent and meaningful manner; no matter what they claim.

The Board is comprised of appointed and elected members who are not outwardly paid for their services, they are volunteers. As such, they have other gigs to keep life the way it ought to be, and conflicts in priorities do arise. However, these conflicts must be mitigated with the presence of duty to be responsive to the community and respectful to the position. This is not an NRZ where you might vote to approve sending someone to City Hall to request a streetlight be installed on a particular corner to keep away illicit entrepreneurs. There are standards even for volunteers, and the Board must use the power of their Bylaws as a check on the disengagement and apathy of other members.