EXHIBIT 2-1 RCPS SCHOOL BOARD

FEBRUARY 2007 NAME TITLE TERM EXPIRES YEARS OF SERVICE AS OF END OF 2006-07 OCCUPATION

Carson, David B. Chair 6/30/08 2 Attorney

Nash, Alvin L. Vice Chair 6/30/07 3

Director, Blue Ridge Housing Development Authority

Bingham, Jason E. Member 6/30/09 4

Regional Manager, Private Firm

Huff, Mae G. Member 6/30/09 1 Retired

Lindsey, William H. Member 6/30/08 5 Attorney

Penn, Courtney A. Member 6/30/07 3

Assistant to President, Roanoke College

Putney, Todd A. Member 6/30/09 1

Vice President, HR, Private Firm

Source: RCPS superintendent’s office and clerk of the board, February 2007.

Regular school board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Regular meeting locations, dates, and times are posted on the RCPS Web site and advertised as required by law. Regular open meetings are held at 7:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted, at varying locations to facilitate access by the public from the different sectors of the city. The public is welcome to attend all meetings and citizens wishing to address the school board are provided an opportunity to do so.

In addition to regular meetings, the school board holds closed meetings prior to the regular meeting for certain purposes. These include:

„ Discussion of individual personnel. „ Student matters.

„ Negotiations of material terms for purchase of property or a specific contract for employment.

„ Attorney-client privilege as it relates to litigation preparation and execution.

„ Other matters as permitted under Commonwealth of Virginia law.

School board committee meetings also may be scheduled prior to the regular meetings. Monthly, usually on the third Thursday, the school board conducts work sessions on scheduled topics.

Minutes of all regular meetings are recorded by the school board clerk, transcribed, and approved by the board at the next regular meeting. Approved minutes are then published on the Web site. Minutes are not maintained for closed meetings; rather, the school board clerk prepares a record of motions and related votes. Minutes and supplementary data are stored in secured, fireproof file cabinets.

Since the division leadership chose not to conduct another survey for this review, MGT is using to survey results from our previous review in 2005. The results of a fall 2005 survey of RCPS central office administrators, principals, and teachers were compared to the equivalent survey responses in other school systems that MGT has reviewed. When asked to rate Board of Education members’ knowledge of operations in the school division as good, excellent, fair, or poor, 21 percent of RCPS central office administrators responded good or excellent and 68 percent fair or poor, compared with 36 percent good or excellent and 58 percent fair or poor in other districts; 50 percent of RCPS principals responded good or excellent and 34 percent fair or poor, compared with 41 percent good or excellent and 56 percent fair or poor in other districts; and 28 percent of RCPS teachers responded good or excellent and 48 percent fair or poor, compared with 29 percent good or excellent and 55 percent fair or poor. When rating

Board of Education members’ knowledge of the educational needs of students in the

school division, 37 percent of RCPS central office administrators responded good or

excellent and 53 percent responded fair or poor. Among their counterparts in other

school districts, percentages were 40 percent good or excellent and 51 percent fair or

poor. On this same item, 48 percent of RCPS principals responded good or excellent

and 39 percent fair or poor, compared with 39 percent good or excellent and 57 fair or

poor in other districts, and 25 percent of RCPS teachers responded good or excellent

and 52 percent fair or poor, compared with 24 percent good or excellent and 64 percent

fair or poor in other districts.

FINDING

The meeting agenda is comprehensive and provides for public, administrative, and board member input. Approximately three weeks prior to the school board meeting, the school board clerk/executive assistant to the superintendent begins developing the agenda in collaboration with the superintendent, board members, and executive staff, compiling all information to be included in both the agenda and the supporting agenda packet. The superintendent convenes an agenda meeting monthly with the school board chair, vice chair, and any board members wishing to attend.

The school board meeting agenda may be organized into the following 15 sections: „ Closed Meeting (if necessary)

„ Committee Meetings (if scheduled)

„ Hearing for Community and Volunteer Organizations and/or Public Hearings

„ Regular Meeting Opening „ Approval of the Agenda „ Recognitions

„ Citizen Participation on Agenda Items „ Citizen Participation on Non-Agenda Items

„ Approval of Consent Agenda (including minutes of prior meeting, routine personnel items, and other routine matters)

„ Financial Statements

„ Approval of Bid Recommendations „ Superintendent’s Reports

„ Old Business „ New Business „ Adjournment

Following preparation of a proposed or draft agenda and organization of supporting documents, the agenda is converted to an electronic format for transmission to each school board member on the Wednesday prior to the Tuesday meeting. On Friday prior to the Tuesday meeting, any additional supporting information that becomes available is delivered to the school board. Members reported that the information packet provided to them was comprehensive and that the superintendent and administrative staff were available to respond to any questions. MGT’s review of meeting documents confirmed this assertion.

On the Thursday prior to the Tuesday meeting, the agenda is posted on the RCPS Web site for public viewing and availability to the media and other concerned parties.

COMMENDATION 2-A:

The RCPS School Board, superintendent, administration, and staff are commended for developing a comprehensive meeting agenda information packet that can be electronically transmitted to all members.

FINDING

The RCPS School Board meeting agenda and approved meeting minutes are posted on the division’s Web site, which provides the public a convenient way to view topics for consideration by the school board. The school board clerk is responsible for preparing minutes for school board approval and then submitting the approved minutes to the Webmaster for posting.

Minutes of meetings are appropriately stored and protected from potential destruction in locked, fire-rated cabinets.

COMMENDATION 2-B:

The RCPS School Board and administration are commended for storing the meeting agenda and approved minutes appropriately and posting them on the division’s Web site, thus making important information readily available to the public.

FINDING

In January 2006, MGT recommended that the administration and school board develop a comprehensive, local orientation program to acquaint new school board members with the organization of the division, the role and responsibilities of the board, and the many details associated with carrying out their responsibilities.

The administration is in the process of developing this program and has met several times with the two newly appointed board members to provide them with needed orientation. Additionally, the new members have attended Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) orientation sessions, which focus primarily on Commonwealth- related, rather than local, issues.

RECOMMENDATION 2-1:

Continue developing a comprehensive, local orientation program for new school board members.

Implementation of this recommendation should ultimately result in the development of a comprehensive, local board member orientation program that, minimally, should cover the following topics:

„ Organization of the school board, rules of order, procedures for obtaining information, establishment of the meeting agenda, and other operational matters.

„ Organization of the school division, including key administrative personnel that can provide assistance to board members upon request.

„ A review of important documents including but not necessarily limited to the policy and procedures manual, employee handbooks, student code of conduct, and pupil progression plans or like documents describing division and state student matriculation requirements.

„ A review of the division’s planning documents and the processes for their development.

„ A review of the division’s budget and associated development and adoption timelines.

„ The calendar of important dates and deadlines for board actions, including approval of employee contracts for employment, establishment of the staffing plan for each year, review of the student code of conduct, and other required matters.

The orientation program could be developed in conjunction with the VSBA. It should be implemented over a scheduled series of meetings, allowing the participants to assimilate information in an orderly and systematic fashion. Efforts should be made to avoid overloading participants with too much information at any one session.