My fellow school board directors and I have a unique and timely perspective on public education on Vashon. I’ve served for eight years and will not be on the board in a few short months. After reading an article from a fellow board director in Lynden, and as our district transitions to new board leadership, I would like to shed some light on what a school board does and, equally importantly, what we don’t do.

As a Vashon community, we are proud of our schools and shared assets, and we care deeply about the quality of the education we provide to our families. As a school board, we look to communicate more effectively with our community to share the great work and strengths of our schools and hear more directly about ways we can improve.

We represent all voters on our island and our terms typically last four years. We usually convene twice a month and actively engage in committees, such as those focused on capital projects, finance, and teaching and learning.

Continuous study, reading, and research are not just encouraged but expected in this role.

It’s essential to understand that, as board members, we hold no individual authority. Our collective decisions are made during public meetings, requiring a quorum of at least three members.

Importantly, we also are not school district employees. Aside from the superintendent, we don’t have any supervisory duties over district employees or involvement in day-to-day operations. If you have concerns or questions, we encourage you to reach out to us, but most of the time, we’ll guide you to the appropriate district employee who can directly assist you.

What exactly is our role? School boards in Washington State operate under a policy governance model rather than a managerial one.

This means we don’t run the schools but create, manage, and rely on policies to provide direction to the superintendent and their staff. You can find our board policies and procedures, as well as handbooks for students and families, on our district website. Transparency and accessibility are crucial to us.

A board does have several main jobs: hire, supervise and evaluate the superintendent; set and monitor progress toward the strategic goals of our strategic plan; review, revise and adopt policy; oversee and approve the budget; and finally, serve as community representatives.

Because of the Washington Open Public Meetings Act, the board cannot, except for some very narrow exceptions, have meetings or even group discussions in private, away from community members. It’s important – and yes, oftentimes causes frustration – that our community understands these sessions are a meeting of the board in public and not necessarily a meeting with the public.

The format of a typical board meeting to a first-time visitor can feel very formal and rigid. On some levels this is by design as most boards generally run meetings by the ever-lively Robert’s Rules of Order.

The board chair’s goal is to run an efficient, productive, public meeting around the work of the district. That said, a good deal of unfortunate angst occurred during the past couple years over a perceived lack of response from the board around COVID-related issues and teacher conduct issues, especially after public comment periods.

In reality, a school board meeting is not the best opportunity for engagement. We are aiming to improve these perceived communication gaps through increased opportunities for input and through effective community engagement outside of board meetings. Board members are standing ready to meet with the public during the monthly “Superintendent/Board member Cookie for Your Thoughts.” Additionally, we encourage any community member to reach out directly to us for conversation and feedback.

Finally, the heart of any school district lies in the relationship between the superintendent and the school board. Think of the superintendent as the CEO, responsible not only for long-term planning but also the day-to-day operations in our schools. Despite our somewhat new board, we have a strong and supportive relationship with our superintendent Dr. Slade McSheehy. His extensive experience both in our district and outside our district is a significant asset, and our shared vision for constant improvement drives our collective efforts.

A successful board takes input from an entire school community, combines it with the professional wisdom and guidance of the superintendent, teachers and staff, overlays it with effective discussion and thoughtful deliberation, then asks, “Is what we are about to do the best decision for our kids and ensures we are making progress toward the Vashon Promise?” This is the question that continually guides our work.

It’s not always easy. It often comes with tough decisions, continuous effort and a few bumps in the road. But it is critical work. Public education now is not the same as decades past, and VISD is striving every day to grow and evolve into a system that will excel at whatever the future throws at us.

We value our students, their families, our staff, and this community equally, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership on Vashon Island. Thank you for your support and engagement. Together, we can ensure the best possible education for our children.

Toby Holmes is a member (Position #5) of the Vashon Island School Board. His term expires this year.