The board’s governance committee met July 19 to discuss the policy manual for the all three International School of Louisiana campuses. The committee focused in particular on hiring procedures, some of which were condemned as overly bureaucratic.

Among other stipulations, applicants must undergo “a minimum of two rounds of interviews with more than one current employee, and some degree of input from all equal and immediately higher current employees within the organizational structure.”

Head of school Sean Wilson expressed concern that these requirements make for a protracted process without clear benefit. Board member Matthew Amoss disagreed, saying that though  he did not take issue with current hiring practices at any of the ISL schools, the new rules were a  safeguard against flawed or biased hiring in the future.

Discussion also was provoked by the proposal that board members attend interviews with prospective  employees.  The issue was tabled after Wilson, joined by board member Dominique Wilson, questioned whether the board should have any such role, given that the head of school is responsible for all staff hiring.

In other business, the committee discussed the middle school immersion program.  Wilson said he was concerned about the dropoff in enrollment as students transition from lower to middle school. Typically, that leaves a projected 30 to 40 spots open for non-immersed students entering sixth grade.

Discussion also cropped up over what constitutes “immersion.” It’s currently defined as not less than 70 percent of classroom time for kindergarten through fourth-grade students and not less than 50 percent of class time for fifth- through twelfth-graders “in any standard week spent in full immersion class in the target language.” Whether lunch, phys ed or extracurricular activities should be factored in was subject to inconclusive debate.

Lastly, the committee voted to recommend updating the manual’s description of ISL language programs to reflect what’s currently offered on each campus.

Recommendations were to be reviewed by the full board at its monthly meeting, July 25.

The governance committee meeting was adjourned at 7:10. Treasurer David Bordson-Bozzo was absent.