How the HUUSD School Board works

Published May 18, 2026

The Harwood Unified Union School District board is the elected body that sets policy for the public schools in our valley. This page is a plain-English overview of what the board does and how you can engage with it.

What the board does

The board’s core jobs are:

• Hire and oversee the superintendent. The board does not run day-to-day operations — that’s the superintendent’s job. The board hires the superintendent, evaluates their performance, and sets the strategic direction.
• Adopt the annual budget. The board prepares a budget proposal each year that goes to district voters in March.
• Set policy. Things like graduation requirements, public-comment rules, attendance policies, technology use, and student conduct are board policies.
• Approve major contracts and capital expenses. Bus contracts, facilities work, large equipment purchases.
• Represent the public. Board members are elected; their job is to bring resident perspectives into governance.

What the board does NOT do

• Hire or evaluate individual teachers or staff (the superintendent + principals do that)
• Set curriculum lesson plans (educators do that within board-adopted policy)
• Handle individual student discipline (school administration does that)
• Run school operations day-to-day (that’s the superintendent + administrators)

This distinction matters: if you have a concern about a specific teacher, classroom, or student situation, the board is usually not the right first stop. The principal, then the superintendent, then the board (if there’s a policy question that can’t be resolved at lower levels) is the typical escalation path.

How meetings work

The board meets monthly (usually). All meetings are open to the public unless the board votes to enter executive session for a specific permitted reason (personnel, real estate, legal matters).

Each meeting has:

• An agenda posted at least 24 hours in advance
• An agenda packet with supporting materials (often hundreds of pages — budget worksheets, policy drafts, reports)
• Time for public comment — typically near the start of the meeting
• Discussion and votes on agenda items
• Recorded minutes posted after the meeting

How to participate

• Read the agenda packet before the meeting. This is the single most useful thing you can do. I publish meeting briefs that summarize the packet in plain language.
• Show up — in person or on Zoom. Both options are available for most meetings.
• Speak during public comment. You don’t need to register in advance. The chair will explain the time limit (typically 3 minutes).
• Email the board. Board members publish their email addresses. You can write to one member, the full board, or both.
• Run for the board. Seats come up regularly. Petitions to get on the ballot are due in late January for the March election.

Committees

The board does much of its detailed work in committees:

• Curriculum Committee — curriculum, instruction, equity
• Facilities Committee — buildings, grounds, capital projects
• Finance Committee — budget, audits, contracts
• Policy Committee — drafting and revising board policy

Committee meetings are also public. Agendas and packets are posted alongside the full-board agenda.

Where the official record lives

Everything official — agendas, packets, minutes, policies, board member contact info — is on the HUUSD district website. I link to it constantly from my briefs and explainers. If something here conflicts with what’s there, trust HUUSD.