School board will bring new members up to speed at next meeting

Brian Holst (left) is president of the Juneau School Board.
Brian Holst (left) is president of the Juneau School Board. (Photo by Quinton Chandler/KTOO)

The newly elected members of the Juneau School Board will be busy learning how the board operates shortly after election results are certified Tuesday.

Dan DeBartolo and Steve Whitney were the winners in the race for two school board seats that will be vacated by board members Lisa Worl and Barbara Thurston.

School board President Brian Holst said once they’re sworn in, Whitney and DeBartolo will continue an orientation they started as candidates.

“A further, deeper orientation to try to catch them up with all the different aspects of policy, the way we operate as a board, and responsibilities, the budget, et cetera,” Holst said.

Holst said right now, the board is updating the Juneau School District’s policies. He said in their first board meeting on Oct. 19, the new members will have an opportunity to voice their opinions on policy.

“An example of that we’re going to be dealing with at our next meeting is around bullying,” Holst said.

Holst said on this particular issue the board will be considering recommendations developed by both the district’s administration and by students.

“Then a few meetings from now, the entire set of policies are going to be up for a vote,” Holst said. “(That’s) really important because after that our job really becomes making sure the administration implements the policy.”

Other than policy, perhaps the most important item Holst said the board will consider in the near future is the district’s budget.

He said after the new members are sworn in, the board will hold an election for officers and the new members will be asked which committees they’d like to join.

Holst added that those committees include the: Facilities Committee, Program Evaluation Committee and special committees that work closely with other organizations.

“(With) the Alaska School Board Association, with our Indian Studies Program, with our Early Literacy Council, with (the) Native Education Advisory Council, the Teen Health Center …” Holst said.

The new school board members are scheduled to be sworn in during the Oct. 19 meeting.

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