X. Communications

1. Board/Superintendent Communication
   1. With respect to providing information and counsel to the Board, the Superintendent shall not fail to give the Board as much information as necessary to allow Board members to be adequately informed (EL-10). The Superintendent will communicate information in a timely fashion to all Board members through:
      1. Board meetings and executive sessions.
      2. Board deliveries.
      3. Voice-mail messages. The Board will be notified when a message has been recorded for their information.
      4. Telephone calls.
      5. One-on-one meetings.
   2. Board members will keep the Superintendent informed via telephone calls, voice mails, e-mails, personal visits, dialogue meetings, and requests for executive session or open meeting discussions.
   3. As outlined in Board Policy B/SR-1, the Board's official connection to the operational organization is the Superintendent. However, to facilitate communication, the Superintendent designates other senior staff members as Board contacts as follows: Chief Academic Officer, Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel, Director of Internal Audit, and Chief of Staff.
   4. In addition, administrators who are designated as "staff support" for officially appointed Board Committees may serve as direct contacts for purposes of supporting the work of the committee.
   5. . Correspondence related to formal complaints or grievances, as described in District Policy FNG (Legal and Local), will not be forwarded to Board members so that they may maintain their objectivity pertaining to matters that may require Board action in the future. The sender will be notified with an explanation of the decision not to forward the communication.
2. Board Response to Contacts/Correspondence
   1. Individual Trustees may communicate with members of the community as they deem appropriate. While Trustees strive to be responsive to stakeholders, it is not possible for them to respond to every inquiry due to the volume of correspondence.
   2. Letters and faxes addressed to individual Trustees and received in the Superintendent's office are delivered to that Trustee in the weekly Board delivery packet. If an item is urgent or time sensitive, the Trustee is contacted by email or telephone before the board delivery.
   3. Citizens may contact the Board of Trustees by email at trustees@austinisd.org. The Board secretary acknowledges receipt of the email and informs the sender that the message has been forwarded to the individual Trustee and to the appropriate administrator(s). The administration ensures that an appropriate response is provided on behalf of the Board of Trustees.
   4. If the Board President responds to an inquiry in writing, all Board members receive a copy of the response.
   5. The Board of Trustees encourages input, and the confidentiality of individuals will be maintained to the fullest extent possible. Anonymous calls or letters will not receive a response and will not result in directives to the administration.
3. Administration Response to Contacts/Correspondence
   1. All correspondence addressed to the Superintendent or administration is routed to the appropriate staff members.
   2. The appropriate staff members investigate the issues raised in the correspondence and will respond in a reasonable and appropriate manner. It is the goal of the administration to respond to correspondence within 10 working days.
   3. The AISD administration encourages input. Anonymous calls or letters, however, will not receive a reply from the administration.
   4. Confidentiality of the person writing the correspondence is appropriately maintained.
   5. The Ombudsman will facilitate the resolution of citizen complaints as appropriate.
4. Internal Board Communication
   1. Board members are encouraged to share information about noteworthy meetings and events with other Board members by e-mail or telephone. Board members should notify the Superintendent's office to allow for calendar additions and postings as needed.