The issue of which meetings Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board members should attend remains unresolved, as the board’s Policy Committee opted to further develop proposed language rather than move it forward.

During a Wednesday morning meeting, committee members Dawn Lang and Juanita Albright raised concerns about suggested additions to the board’s policies that would clarify when board members may attend meetings, including as observers.

Lang cautioned that expanding the scope of meetings board members could attend could create a “slippery slope” over time. She said the presence of a high-level board member at certain meetings could alter the dynamic of those meetings, not always in a positive way, and potentially create what she described as an “intimidating tone.”

Lang emphasized that information brought to the board should continue to flow through the district’s existing committee structure. She said the proposed language could be interpreted broadly, allowing a board member to “sit in on anything.”

“Then where does it end?” Lang asked.

Albright agreed with Lang’s assessment.

Deputy Superintendent Matt Kegley told the committee the proposed language was drafted in response to a request from board member Latricia Schooley. Kegley said he will revise the language based on the committee’s feedback and present an updated proposal at the committee’s March meeting.

Kegley added that Schooley had expressed that the intent of the policy was not to allow board members to become involved in the district’s day-to-day operations.

Any changes to board policy would require approval by a majority vote of the full seven-member school board.