Powers and Duties
The board’s primary responsibility is to establish policies, purposes, programs and procedures, which will best achieve the goals of the strategic plan. The board is charged with accomplishing this while also being responsible for wise management of available resources. The board must fulfill these responsibilities by functioning primarily as a legislative body, which formulates and adopts policy, by selecting an executive officer to implement policy and by evaluating the results. Further, it must carry out its functions openly and seek the involvement of students, staff and the public during its decision-making process.
In accordance with these principles, the board, through its operations, will seek to achieve the following goals:
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Concentrate the board’s collective effort on policy-making and planning responsibilities.
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Formulate board policies that best serve each student’s educational interests.
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Provide the superintendent with sufficient and adequate guidelines for implementing board policies.
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Maintain effective communication with the public and with staff and students to maintain awareness of attitudes, opinions, desires and ideas.
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Conduct board business openly, soliciting and encouraging broad-based involvement of the public, students and staff in the board’s decision-making processes.
The legislature of the state of Oregon delegates to the board responsibility for the conduct and governance of schools. The general powers granted to the board are:
Legislative or rule-making authority
In regular or special public meetings, after open discussion and after members’ votes are recorded, the board will establish rules or policy. The formulation and adoption of policies, recorded in writing, will constitute the basic method by which the board will exercise its leadership in the operation of the school system.
The board shall establish rules for governing schools and students consistent with state board of education rules and with local, state and federal laws.
The board is responsible for providing adequate and direct means for keeping informed about the needs and wishes of the public and for keeping local citizens informed about the schools.
Judicial authority
As provided by law, policy or contract, the board acts as a fact-finding body or a court of appeals for staff members, students and the public when issues involve board policies or agreements and their implementation, and when the board must determine the rights duties or obligations of those who address the board.
Executive/Administrative authority
The board will appoint a superintendent delegated to establish administrative regulations to implement board policy and goals. The board will evaluate the superintendent’s performance.
The board shall establish academic and financial goals for the district and evaluate the superintendent’s implementation of those goals.
The board will oversee the district’s financial affairs by authorizing, appropriating and adopting budgets and by proposing tax levy or bond elections when appropriate and as allowed by law, to provide for program operation and maintenance or acquisition of district property.
The board will authorize and approve payment on all contracts and business transactions of the district. The board will provide for an annual audit of the district’s assets.
The board will employ the staff necessary to carry out the educational program and will provide for regular evaluation of staff.
The board will direct the collective bargaining process to establish labor contracts with the district’s personnel. The board will establish, through the collective bargaining process where appropriate, salaries and salary schedules, other terms and conditions of employment, and personnel policies for district-wide application.
The board will establish the days of the year and the hours of the day when school will be in session.