ABOUT THE MEETINGS - Trustees and administration of the Lubbock Independent School District believe that open lines of communication are vital to the educational process and welcome visitors to school board meetings.

MEET YOUR SCHOOL BOARD - The seven-member board of Trustees acts as the school district’s policy-making body and is the official representative of the people to provide quality educational opportunities in the Lubbock Independent School District. The Board functions according to state and federal laws, regulations of the State Board of Education, the recommendations of the State Commissioner of Education, and the will of the people as expressed in district elections.

The Board of trustees, while composed of individuals, acts officially only as a group. No member, person, or group of persons acts in the name of the Board except when authorized by the Board to do so. Each member serves for a four-year term without compensation. Elections are held on the first Saturday of May in even-numbered years. Five trustees are elected by voters in their respective districts, and two trustees are elected at large. Officers of the board are elected every two years by the board's membership.

MEETINGS - Regular board meetings are scheduled for 7 a.m. on the second Thursday and 7 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Administration Building, 1628 19th Street, Lubbock, Texas. When necessary, the Board may change its meetings to other days or may hold special meetings, emergency meetings, or work sessions. In all cases, public notice is made in advance, and the local news media are notified. Also, notices of all meetings are posted at the main entrance to the Administration Building.

In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Law, the Board has the privilege of meeting privately in closed session to discuss certain items, including personnel, land acquisition, legal matters involving the school district, and student appeals.

MINUTES - The official minute book is maintained for public inspection in the superintendent’s office. These minutes are open for perusal by the public during regular business hours.

AGENDA - Copies of the full agenda and any supplementary materials are provided for the general public and are placed near the entrance to the Boardroom prior to each meeting.

ORDER OF BUSINESS - Regular board meetings normally follow a standard agenda. The president calls the meetings to order and announces whether a quorum (a majority of members) is present. Following the invocation, the Board approves the minutes of the previous meeting and routine financial reports. After any presentations to or from the trustees, the Board proceeds to items of business, which normally include the following three types:

Action Items: These require formal attention of the Board and are usually presented as a recommendation from the superintendent. The Board cannot legally act on any item that has not been listed on the posted agenda.

Information Items: These are typically reports of general interest and are presented by the superintendent of his designee for information purposes only.

Discussion Items: These are reports or other items which need to be discussed by the trustees but cannot be voted on at that particular meeting.

Executive Session: Provision is made for an executive session, usually at the end of the meeting. Afterwards, the Board reconvenes in open session to take action relevant to items discussed in closed session or to adjourn if no action is necessary.

MEET YOUR SUPERINTENDENT - The superintendent of schools, Dr. Curtis Culwell, came to LISD from Pittsburg, Texas in June of 1992. Before being elected superintendent by the Board of Trustees in March of 1995, Dr. Culwell served as LISD’s deputy superintendent for administration. He is the chief executive of the district and is responsible for the effective execution of policies by the Board of Trustees. The superintendent manages the administration of all the district’s operations, assigns personnel responsibilities, and serves as the liaison between the Board and the staff. Dr. Culwell attends and participates in all meetings of the Board.

According to school board policy, Superintendent Culwell, in cooperation with the board president, has the primary responsibility of coordinating the preparation of the agenda for each meeting and determining which items will be included on the agenda.

Superintendent - Curtis Culwell

Deputy Superintendent - Carmyn D. Neely

Chief Financial Officer - Larry Throm

Assistant Superintendents - Ann Graves, Elementary Operations Wayne Havens, Secondary Operations Ralph Madrid, Personnel Services John W. Washington, Student Services

Administration Assistant - Ecomet Burley

TO APPEAR ON THE AGENDA - Individuals who have questions, suggestions, or concerns are first encouraged to contact the appropriate staff member. If the item concerns a particular school, the teacher or the principal should be contacted. If problems still remain, patrons may contact the appropriate office administrator.

Public participation in board meetings is governed by school board policy BED (Local). Anyone who desires to address the Board should submit a written request to the superintendent by noon seven days before the meeting. The request should include the person’s name, address, telephone number, and subject matter to be presented. After an agenda has been posted, citizens who wish to speak to a specific agenda item may do so, provided they have conferenced with the superintendent or his designee by noon two days prior to the meeting.

When speaking at the meetings, the individual will be asked to stand at the podium microphone, to state his/her name and address, and to direct comments to the Board of Trustees. Policy requires that remarks be limited to five minutes and that delgations of more than five persons appoint one person to present their views before the Board.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Citizens who desire more information about the district are asked to contact the Public Information Department, 766-1062.

Lubbock Independent School District
1628 19th Street
Lubbock, Texas 79401-4895
806-766-1000

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