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Understanding
the School Board
Waller Independent School District
What is the
primary function of a school board? The school board serves as the advocate for
educational excellence for a community’s youth and puts those interests first.
The policies school boards make dictate the standards and philosophy by which
schools are run and the criteria used to judge whether they are being run well. This
responsibility often entails difficult choices, self-sacrifice (it is a
volunteer position), and exposure to public criticism. However, it also brings a
great deal of personal satisfaction in sharing with parents, staff, and students
their academic successes. This crucial responsibility and the closeness of
trustees to the voters make the local school board the purest example of
democracy our society presents.
What are the key
responsibilities of a school board? (1)
to ensure the creation of a vision and goals for the district and evaluate
district success, (2) to adopt policies that guide district actions, (3) to hire
a superintendent to serve as administrator of the district and evaluate his/her
success, (4) to approve an annual budget consistent with the district vision,
and (5) to communicate the district’s vision and success to the community.
In addition to these responsibilities, each year Waller ISD
Trustees set specific Board Goals for the district.
Who is eligible to serve as a school board member? Anyone who is (1) a
qualified and registered voter, (2) a resident of the district for six months
before the filing deadline, (3) a resident of the state for 12 months before the
deadline.
When and how are school board members elected?
School Board elections may
only be held on the first Saturday in May or the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November of odd-numbered years.
Waller ISD School Board elections are held on the first Saturday in
May.
School Board members are elected by popular vote. In most
districts, including Waller ISD, the members serve three-year staggered terms so
that the entire board is not up for election at the same time.
Is special training required for school board members?
School board
members are required by Texas law and Commissioner of Education rule to
participate in three types of continuing education: (1) an orientation to local
district policy and to the laws affecting public education in Texas, (2) an
annual team building activity, and (3) a specified number of hours each year in
areas of special need.
Can citizens attend school board meetings?
School boards must meet in
compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and make public records available
pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and Texas Public Information Act.
Citizens are welcomed at all school board meetings, except in a few legally
specified circumstances calling for closed meetings.
Can citizens participate in school board meetings?
Most school boards
allow citizen participation and, in order to allow adequate time for important
board business, have established policies regarding how and when citizens
contribute input.
Waller ISD policy WALLER ISD-BED(L) sets out public participation
in Waller ISD Board meetings:
"LIMIT ON PARTICIPATION - Audience participation in Waller ISD School
Board meetings is limited to the portion of the meeting designated for that
purpose (patron presentations). At all other times during a board meeting, the
audience shall not enter into discussion or debate on matters being considered
by the Board, unless recognized by the presiding officer. No presentation shall
exceed three minutes. Delegations of more than five persons shall appoint one
person to present their views before the Board.
At regular meetings the Board shall allot 30 minutes to hear
persons who desire to make comments to the Board. Persons who wish to
participate in this portion of the meeting shall sign up with the presiding
officer or designee before the meeting begins and shall indicate the topic about
which they wish to speak.
BOARD RESPONSE - Specific factual information or recitation of existing
policy may be furnished in response to inquiries, but the Board shall not
deliberate or decide regarding any subject that is not included on the agenda
posted with notice of the meeting.
COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS – Complaints and concerns for which other
resolution channels are provided shall be directed through those channels. The
presiding officer or designee shall determine whether a person who wished to
address the Board has attempted to solve the matter administratively. If not,
the person shall be directed to the appropriate policy.”
Sources: Texas Association of School
Boards
WISD Policy
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