202 - School Board Officers

I. PURPOSE

School board officers are charged with the duty of carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to them for the care, management, and control of the public schools of the school district. The purpose of this policy is to delineate those responsibilities.

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

A. The school board shall meet annually and organize by selecting a chair, a vice-chair, a clerk, and a treasurer.

B. The school board shall appoint a superintendent who shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the school board.

III. ORGANIZATION

The school board shall meet annually on the second Thursday in January, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and organize by selecting a chair, a clerk, a treasurer, and such other officers as determined by the school board. These officers shall hold office for one year and until their successors are elected and qualify.

A. The duties of the clerk and treasurer are performed by the selected school board members or their designees.

B. The school board by resolution may combine the duties of the offices of clerk and treasurer in a single person in the office of business affairs.

C. If a regularly scheduled board meeting is postponed due to bad weather, the meeting will be held at the discretion of the board chair and properly noticed.

D. The school board will select the school district’s legal counsel at the organizational meeting. The individuals authorized to contact legal counsel are the school board chair, the superintendent and his or her designees.

IV. OFFICER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Chair

1. The chair when present shall preside at all meetings of the school board, preserve order, ensure all business before the school board is conducted with propriety and dispatch, countersign all orders upon the treasurer for claims allowed by the school board, represent the school district in all actions, and perform all duties a chair usually performs.

2. In case of absence, inability, or refusal of the clerk to draw orders for the payment of money authorized by a vote of the majority of the school board to be paid, the chair may draw the orders, or the office of the clerk may be declared vacant by the chair and treasurer and filled by appointment.

3. The chair will provide leadership in carrying out the powers and duties of the school board and act as spokesperson for the school board unless this responsibility has been delegated to others. The chair shall have completed MSBA Phase I, II, III, and IV training prior to serving as chair to ensure governance norms and protocols. If the school board determines there is not a member who qualifies, this policy may be waived upon majority vote.

4. The chair will oversee all school board members’ appointments to committees and outside organizations and bring such appointments to the school board for approval.

5. Other duties may be prescribed to the chair by law or school board action.

B. Vice-Chair

The vice-chair shall perform the duties of the chair in the event the chair is temporarily absent, assist the chair in the performance of his/her responsibilities, and plan and coordinate the school board’s annual evaluation of the superintendent.      

C. Treasurer

1. The treasurer shall deposit the funds of the school district in the official depository.

2. The treasurer shall make all reports which may be called for by the school board and perform all duties a treasurer usually performs.

3. In the event there are insufficient funds on hand to pay valid orders presented to the treasurer, the treasurer shall receive, endorse, and process the orders in accordance with Minnesota Statutes section 123B.12.

D. Clerk

1. The clerk shall keep a record of all meetings in the books provided.

2. Within three days after an election, the clerk shall notify all persons elected of their election.

3. On or before September 15 of each year, the clerk shall:

a. file with the school board a report of the revenues, expenditures, and balances in each fund for the preceding fiscal year.

b. make and transmit to the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education (Commissioner) certified reports, showing:

1. revenues and expenditures in detail, and such other financial information required by law, rule, or as may be called for by the Commissioner;

2. length of school term and enrollment and attendance by grades;

3. the condition and value of school district property; and

4. other items of information as called for by the Commissioner.

4. The clerk shall enter into the clerk’s record book copies of all reports and of the teachers’ term reports, and of the proceedings of any meeting, and keep an itemized account of all expenses of the school district.

5. The clerk shall furnish to the county auditor, on or before September 30 of each year, an attested copy of the clerk’s record, showing the amount of proposed property tax voted by the school district or the school board for school purposes.

6. The clerk shall draw and sign all orders upon the treasurer for the payment of money for bills allowed by the school board for salaries of officers and for teachers’ wages and all claims, to be countersigned by the chair.

7. The clerk shall perform such duties as required by the Minnesota Election Law or other applicable laws relating to the conduct of elections.

8. The clerk shall perform the duties of the chair in the event of the chair’s and the vice-chair’s temporary absences.

E. Superintendent

1. The superintendent shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the school board.

2. The superintendent shall perform the following:

a. visit and supervise the schools in the school district, report and make recommendations about their condition when advisable or on request by the school board;

b. recommend to the school board employment and dismissal of teachers;

c. annually evaluate each school principal assigned responsibility for supervising a school building within the district;

d. superintend school grading practices and examinations for promotions;

e. make reports required by the commissioner; and

f. perform other duties prescribed by the school board.

Legal References:      

• Minn. Stat. § 123B.12 (Insufficient Funds to Pay Orders)
• Minn. Stat. § 123B.14 (Officers of Independent School Districts)
• Minn. Stat. § 123B.143 (Superintendent)
• Minn. Stat. § 126C.17 (Referendum Revenue)
• Minn. Stat. Ch. 205A (School District Elections)

Cross References:      

• Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District Policy 101 (Legal Status of the School District)
• Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District Policy 201 (Legal Status of the School Board)
• Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District Policy 203 (Operation of the School Board – Governing Rules)
• MSBA Service Manual, Chapter 1, School District Governance, Powers and Duties