About the Board
The Role of the School Board
A school board is able to fulfill its mission when the members of the board and the superintendent understand their roles and work together in an environment of trust, mutual respect, understanding and shared purpose.
Both board members and the superintendent, in order to develop and maintain a working relationship that will enable the board to get its job done and the school district to move forward, must spend significant amounts of time and energy in developing the board/superintendent relationship.
In general, it's the school board's job to make policy, while the superintendent is charged with administering the policy. With effective board/superintendent teams, each side clearly understands its roles and responsibilities. The school board’s areas of responsibility include:
Goal Setting: The district vision is translated into long- and short-term goals. The board establishes the structure to accomplish the vision, and periodically evaluates the results.
Policy: Establishes policy for the district and shares in policy development.
Designating and Evaluating the Superintendent: Recruits, hires and evaluates the performance of the superintendent.
Budget: Reviews the budget submitted by the superintendent and aligns the funding priorities with the district goals.
Curriculum: Approves recommended curriculum and textbooks based on standards, goals and policies established by the board. Review and evaluate curriculum as it relates to student assessment results.
Staffing and Appraisal: Adopts policies governing salaries and salary schedules, terms and conditions of employment, fringe benefits, leave and professional development, and employee evaluations.
Facilities: Determines school facility needs and communicates proposed construction plans to the community.
For more information regarding MASB or on how to run for the school board or how to recruit candidates, Please click here.
(School Board Information from: https://www.masb.org/school-boards.aspx)
Clawson Sets Example
Clawson was one of the first Michigan districts to post its checks online.
The Mackinac Center recognizes Clawson as one of the school districts in Michigan that posts its checks on-line. This allows the public to view where taxpayer's money is spent.
