2:20 - Powers and Duties of the School Board

2:20 - Powers and Duties of the School Board

The major powers and duties of the School Board include, but are not limited to:

1. Formulating, adopting, and modifying Board policies, at its sole discretion, subject only to mandatory collective bargaining agreements and State and federal law.
2. Employing a Superintendent and other personnel, making employment decisions, dismissing personnel, and establishing an equal employment opportunity policy that prohibits unlawful discrimination.
3. Directing, through policy, the Superintendent, in his or her charge of the District’s administration.
4. Approving the annual budget, tax levies, major expenditures, payment of obligations, annual audit, and other aspects of the District’s financial operation; and making available a statement of financial affairs as provided in State law.
5. Entering contracts using the public bidding procedure when required.
6. Indemnifying, protecting, and insuring against any loss or liability of the School District, Board members, employees, and agents as provided or authorized by State law.
7. Providing, constructing, controlling, and maintaining adequate physical facilities; making school buildings available for use as civil defense shelters; and establishing a resource conservation policy.
8. Establishing an equal educational opportunities policy that prohibits unlawful discrimination. 
9. Approving the curriculum, textbooks, and educational services.
10. Evaluating the educational program and approving School Improvement and District Improvement Plans.
11. Presenting the District report card and School report card(s) to parents/guardians and the community; these documents report District, School and student performance.
12. Establishing and supporting student discipline policies designed to maintain an environment conducive to learning, including deciding individual student suspension or expulsion cases brought before it.
13. Establishing attendance units within the District and assigning students to the schools.
14. Establishing the school year.
15. Requiring a moment of silence to recognize veterans during any type of school event held at a District school on November 11.
16. Providing student transportation services.
17. Entering into joint agreements with other boards to establish cooperative educational programs or provide educational facilities.
18. Complying with requirements in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Specifically, each individual Board member must, if an allegation is raised to the member during an open or closed Board meeting that a student is an abused child as defined in the Act, direct or cause the Board to direct the Superintendent or other equivalent school administrator to comply with the Act’s requirements concerning the reporting of child abuse. 
19. Communicating the schools’ activities and operations to the community and representing the needs and desires of the community in educational matters.

LEGAL REF.:       

• 105 CS 5/2-3.25d, 5/10, 5/17-1, and 5/27-1.
• 115 CS 5/.
• 325 CS 5/4.

CROSS REF.:        

1:10 (School District Legal Status), 1:20 (District Organization, Operations, and Cooperative Agreements), 2:10 (School District Governance), 2:80 (Board Member Oath and Conduct), 2:140 (Communications To and From the Board), 2:240 (Board Policy Development), 4:60 (Purchases and Contracts), 4:70 (Resource Conservation), 4:100 (Insurance Management), 4:110 (Transportation), 4:150 (Facility Management and Building Programs), 5:10 (Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment), 5:90 (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting), 6:10 (Educational Philosophy and Objectives), 6:15 (School Accountability), 6:20 (School Year Calendar and Day), 7:10 (Equal Educational Opportunities), 7:30 (Student Assignment and Intra-District Transfer), 7:190 (Student Discipline), 7:200 (Suspension Procedures), 7:210 (Expulsion Procedures), 8:10 (Connection with the Community), 8:30 (Visitors to and Conduct on School Property)

ADOPTED:           

September 30, 2013