ASBSD is making progress in key service areas but must continue improving board development programs, members of the ASBSD Board of Directors said during their March 17 meeting in Pierre.

During an annual progress report to the board, association staff told board members that new entry-level, standards-based professional development programs will be offered next year as part of ASBSD’s new board development initiative, called the Governance Academy for Visionary Education Leadership, or GAVEL for short.

Introduction of the new programs comes two years after the ASBSD Board of Directors adopted a new board development policy.
Since then, staff has worked with local board members to define the board’s role in improving student achievement and to create a set of basic standards that reflect the things every school board member should know.

ASBSD Executive Director Wayne Lueders told board members that with basic programs in place, the association can develop spin-off programs to cover concepts in greater depth.

Expanding into advanced areas needs to be done incrementally, he said, with an understanding that the association can’t do everything at once.
The first spin-off program will be devoted to the relationship between board leadership and improved student learning, the board decided. A new training series will be rolled out next fall, and may be available to a few pilot districts first.

The new training will be based on the Lighthouse Project, a research effort of the Iowa Association of School Boards. The landmark study identified traits of highly effective school boards. Dr. Lueders was part of the Lighthouse research team during his tenure with the IASB.

Board orders dues review

ASBSD Chief Financial Officer Bill Lynch presented a historical review of membership dues, telling board members that revenue from dues has remained relatively flat over the past decade.

Currently, dues account for approximately 6 percent of association revenue, board members learned. In 1999, 37 percent of the association’s budget came from dues.

The growing imbalance between dues and other association revenue concerned some board members, who questioned whether volatility in non-dues revenue would create uncertainty in the future.

The board stopped short of approving a dues increase, opting instead to ask staff to research the dues structures of other state associations. Staff will present information at the May board meeting.

Award may take team approach
ASBSD may take a more team-oriented approach to recognizing school board excellence in the future.

A subcommittee will hammer out qualifications for an Outstanding School Board Award, which could replace the current board member of the year award.

ASBSD will still hand out Outstanding School Board Member this year.