‘Envision Eanes’ panel to be charged with charting school district’s future
As the Eanes school district considers its needs, it will assemble “Envision Eanes,” a committee of parents and community members to help “determine what our school district might look like in its next chapter,” Deputy Superintendent Jeff Arnett told the board during the April 24 monthly meeting.
Trustees conferred about setting guidelines for the group that will advise them. What is its specific purpose, who and how many should serve, and for how long?
“I assume members of the committee will represent a broad spectrum of the community,” said Trustee John Havenstrite. “We need to have some relationship to various attendance zones. They could be empty-nesters.”
He and Trustee Julia Webber were designated by the board to discuss a framework for the committee, which will consider medium- and long-term planning goals and bonds. Its goal is to seek community input for the district’s strategic planning, “leverage the creative and intellectual capital of the community,” and advise on how to evaluate and implement changes in campus attendance zones and land acquisition, according to a draft charter.
Forming the panel this year would allow its members to become educated about the process of determining needs for bonds that might be proposed beyond 2019. Any bonds considered in the near future will be scrutinized by the Bond Oversight Committee, which helped implement previous bonds, the last of which was approved by voters in 2015.
Webber asked fellow trustees what they thought about each school having a campus representative “to be a conduit of communication to that campus.”
Trustee Ellen Balthazar responded, “I think that’s very valid to have open communication channels, but I get a little bit uncomfortable when people put on the mindset of representing ‘this group.’”
“Is there any reason why you can’t bring in liaisons (from various schools)?” asked Trustee Jennifer Salas. She said she envisions the committee coming back with bigger ideas, for instance, discussing why a Spanish magnet school could make sense.
Superintendent Tom Leonard agreed, saying he would “have no trouble having administrative liaisons.”
Leonard summarized what he thought he heard that trustees want: to keep the committee smaller, have a specific charge, set specific term lengths and have no trustees on the committee.
“This is a community committee,” Leonard said, noting there is value in having administrators on the sidelines. “The only thing I want to draw your attention to ... is the timeline. We’re not far from the end of the school year . ... We go into a dead zone in July, so ... I want the charge done and the selection process done ... by the end of May.”
Leonard said he hoped committee members would be appointed in the fall.