Board Policy BDC: Policy Adoption

It will be the responsibility of the DeKalb County Board of Education to enact written policies that promote the efficient and effective governance of the District.

Development of appropriate policies is a cooperative process involving the Superintendent and the Board. Either the Board or the Superintendent may identify the need for a new or revised policy.

Once a need is identified, the Superintendent or designee will conduct necessary research, consult with others as the Superintendent deems appropriate, and prepare a preliminary draft of the proposed policy or revision. The preliminary draft will be submitted to all Board members.

Proposed policies or revisions will be presented for first reading at one monthly work session or business meeting and for action at the next month’s or a later work session or business meeting.

Following first reading, the policy proposal will be posted online in a manner that allows parents, students, staff, and community members to submit written comments. All comments submitted by the specified deadline will be distributed to Board members in advance of the meeting at which the vote for action is scheduled to be taken.

Board members may offer proposed revisions to a draft policy proposal at any time prior to Board action. Preferably those proposed revisions would be expressed or communicated during the period of public comment. Once the proposed revisions have been presented to the Board for approval, amendments receiving a majority vote of Board members present will be incorporated into the policy. The Board may, but is not required to, postpone action on a policy proposal if extensive changes have been made. New and revised policies become effective immediately upon adoption unless the Board specifies a different effective date. New and revised policies are not retroactive.

All new and revised policies adopted by the Board will be attached to and made a part of the minutes of the meeting at which they were adopted. Only those new and revised policies so adopted and recorded will be regarded as official Board policy.

In matters of unusual urgency, the Board may expedite or otherwise alter the policy-adoption process.

The rescission of a policy follows the same procedures as the adoption of new and revised policies.

Staff will ensure that the Online Board Policy Manual is updated to reflect additions, revisions, and rescissions approved by the Board.

Any Board action that appears to be in conflict with Board policy shall remain valid and effective. The conflicting policy will be deemed suspended to the extent and for such time as may be required by the action taken by the Board. However, such actions shall not otherwise constitute an amendment of these policies.

The board will conduct a comprehensive review of its policies at least once every 3-5 years. 

The Superintendent will develop and revise administrative regulations to implement Board policy as the Superintendent deems necessary or as directed by the Board.

The Board reserves the right to review administrative regulations prior to implementation.