Maintaining Focus at Board Meetings

Board-Savvy Superintendent

In the suburbs of Chicago, a superintendent faced a board meeting challenge. The agenda listed clearly defined items. The con-sent agenda was prepared by the leadership cabinet and shared with board members in advance. Prior to the meeting, the superintendent contacted each member to solicit questions.

All of these thoughtful preparations should have added up to a smooth and efficiently run meeting of the school board. Yet on the night of the monthly meeting, it took more than three hours to make it through the agenda. Why?

The next morning, the superintendent and cabinet explored reasons for the long-running meeting, despite the careful preparations. No clear factors were evident. Each cabinet member had done due diligence in providing information in a clearly understandable manner. The board had sufficient opportunities to ask questions in advance. The superintendent took pride in putting together a well-developed meeting agenda.

Unfortunately, even the best planned board meetings sometimes run long and discussion can veer away from the formal agenda.