This document reflects recommended best practices. However, it is intended as a draft document for discussion. Each parish and school must develop a scope of roles and responsibilities best suited to the particular conditions of their church and school, taking into consideration the size of the parish and school operations, staffs, and budgets.
A high-functioning school board:
- Sets strategic direction.
- Has an integrated approach to institutional planning.
- Uses the budget and allocates resources to support strategic priorities..
- Expects candid, frequent communication and sufficient information from the head of school and other school leaders
- Uses data to inform decision-making.
- Establishes rules by which constituent voices are heard and their perspectives considered.
- Sets forth the reasons for its decisions.
- Engages in professional education and regular self-assessment.
Primary Duties
The board’s has four primary duties.
- Steward the mission of the school and its assets.
- Collaborate with the vestry or other governing body of the school’s sponsoring organization and to adhere to both the letter and spirit of by laws or any other protocols that outline the authority, reporting, and decision-making roles and responsibilities of the board relative to its sponsoring organization.
- Select, hire, support, evaluate and, if need be, terminate the head of school
- The board assesses the head’s performance on an annual basis regarding progress towards agreed-upon goals
- The responsibility to appoint the head rests with the board; the process may provide for participation by various constituencies, but the decision is made by the board
- Secure the long-term sustainability and excellence of the school: mission, program, finances.
- The board sets mission-consistent institutional policy and to insure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal legal and regulatory requirement; any requirements in relation to the school’s sponsoring organization; and applicable canons
To execute these duties, the board:
- Undertakes a process of annual and strategic planning.
- Develops annual goals with the head and evaluates itself and the head against those goals.
- Requests and reviews reports related to student outcomes and approves new educational programs or initiatives.
- Oversees and executes responsible financial management, including fundraising.
- Monitors compliance with applicable regulations, laws, and canons.
- Develops, improves, and maintains a physical plant that serves the school’s programs.
- Monitors current performance and progress towards goals, adjusting as necessary.
- Collaborates with and reports to the rector, vestry, diocese, and bishop as needed and as outlined in bylaws, canons, or other documents.
- Makes regular reports to the rector, vestry, diocese, and bishop.
- Adheres to the bylaws and other canons, policies, or procedures applicable to the governance of the school.
Typical Areas for Board-Level Policy Development and Oversight
These areas of oversight are exercised in collaboration with and/or under the oversight of the vestry or other governing body as outlined in by laws and other related documents.
- Admission: range of students served; school size; admissions process; sibling, alumni or parishioner admissions policies; non-discrimination in admissions.
- Financial Aid: amount and types of funds allocated; policy for making awards.
- Non-Discrimination: insures non-discrimination in hiring and admissions.
- Financial Management: policies related to budget, investments, cash management, contracts and leases, check signing authority, receipt of gifts, fundraising goals, content and format of financial reports, protection against financial mismanagement or fraud, preparation and review of audited financial statements, terms and conditions of tuition payments and contracts.
- Health and Safety: oversees policies related to student safety, fire safety, building safety, food service safety, emergency planning, student and personnel health and safety requirements and records, insurance policies and risk management.
- Personnel: Employee benefits, benchmarking employee compensation, compliance with required employee licensing or training, compliance with fair hiring practices, compliance with state and federal employment laws and regulations.
- Academic Program: educational philosophy of the school, grade levels served, programs offered, graduation requirements, approval of new programs and initiative.
Key Annual Responsibilities
- Review and assess progress toward strategic goals; undertake strategic planning as needed.
- Set annual goals for the board.
- Set annual goals with and evaluate the head of school in relation to those goals.
- Develop and approve an annual budget.
- Plan for and monitor scheduled plant improvements/repairs.
- Define and assist in executing fundraising goals.
- Collaborate with and report to the vestry as needed.
- Nominate new members and undertake self-evaluation and/or board education.
Organization of the Board
- Bylaws outline its authority and structure.
- Members are composed of 12-18 persons from a range of constituencies, each with a skill appropriate to the board’s work.
- Officers lead the board.
- Committees execute the work of the board.
- The full board meets regularly (6-8 times/year).
Key Board Committees
- Executive Committee
- Finance Committee (collaborate with counterparts in parish or other sponsoring organization)
- Development Committee
- Buildings & Grounds Committee (collaborate with counterparts in parish or other sponsoring organization)
- Other Committees or Task Forces as appropriate (examples: marketing, diversity, strategic planning, capital campaign, search committee)
Responsible Board Members…
- Are enthusiastic ambassadors for the school’s mission and programs.
- Are well-informed about the school’s current operations and future direction.
- Collaborate with other board members, vestry members, head of school, rector, diocese, and bishop.
- Support the authority of the head of school.
- Maintain confidentiality of board discussions.
- Speak freely and frankly in the board room, with the best interests of the school at heart.
- Avoid the perception of personal agendas or special interests; once on the board, the commitment of each board member is clearly to the welfare of the school.
- Support the professional growth and personal wellbeing of the head of school.
- Bring concerns to the head in a spirit of support and in service of the well-being of the school.
- Maintain appropriate boundaries with faculty, staff, and parents.
Responsible Board Members Do Not…
- Advocate for nor are seen as advocates for certain segments of their constituents.
- Act so as to undermine the head or rector, the senior leadership team, or the decisions or healthy functioning of the board and vestry.
- Interfere in the day-to-day operations of the school’s educational or extracurricular programs.
- Interfere in the school’s relationship with specific teachers, parents, or students.
- Select, hire, evaluate, or terminate faculty or staff.
- Make admissions decisions.
Adapted from the National Association of Independent Schools and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.