BOARD POLICY - 9240

The Irvine Unified School District Board of Education believes that the Board's ability to effectively and responsibly govern the District is essential to promoting student achievement, building positive community relations, and protecting the public interest in district schools. Board members shall participate in mandatory ethics training, as outlined below, and are encouraged to participate in ongoing opportunities for professional development sufficient to help them understand their responsibilities, stay abreast of new developments in education, and improve governance skills. 

Mandatory Ethics Training

Each Board member shall complete two hours of training in general ethics principles and ethics laws relevant to their public service, in accordance with Government Code 53234-53235.2 at least once every two years. (Government Code 53235) 

Once completed, the Board member shall inform the Superintendent or designee, who shall ensure that records are retained for each Board member's participation in the required ethics training.

Additional Training

The Superintendent or designee shall provide an orientation to newly elected or appointed Board members consistent with Board Bylaw 9230 – Orienting New Board Members.

The Superintendent or designee shall include funds for professional development and associated reasonable travel expenses for the Board as a whole and for use by each individual Board member in the District's proposed annual budget.

Consistent with the availability of funds in the District's adopted annual budget, and in accordance with the Board’s Governance Protocols, individual Board members may identify and participate in additional professional development opportunities, and shall timely inform the Superintendent or designee upon doing so. Additionally, the Superintendent or designee shall establish timelines and procedures for how an individual Board member shall request that the District pay for such professional development opportunities, whether in advance or by reimbursement.

Board members are encouraged to consider participating in the professional development opportunities offered by California School Boards Association (CSBA) such as the Masters in Governance Program, Annual Education Conference and Trade Show, Board Presidents Workshop, and Ethics Trainings.

Individual Board members are encouraged to share the knowledge or skills acquired from individual professional development opportunities with the full Board and Superintendent, thereby benefiting the Board and District.

Consistent with Government Code 54952.2, Board members may attend a professional development opportunity as part of a conference or similar public gathering, so long as a majority of the Board members do not discuss among themselves, other than as part of the scheduled program, business of a specified nature that is within the District's jurisdiction.

Policy Adopted:  April 8, 2025