The local School District has been created as a unit of state government. The Board is, therefore, responsible to the local community and to the state government. The Board may take a public position on legislation which will directly affect the education program within the community.
The Board, on its own behalf and on behalf of District electors, hereby retains and reserves unto itself, without limitation, all powers, rights, authority, duties and responsibilities conferred upon and vested in it by the Constitution and laws of the State of Alaska and of the United States.
The Board shall contract with a Superintendent and may enter into a contract with that officer on such terms and for such a period of time as it may desire, not to exceed a period of three consecutive school fiscal years.
Board shall act on recommendations from the administration on matters of policy, appointment or dismissal of employees, salary schedules, other personnel regulations, and matters pertaining to the welfare of the schools.
The Board shall require reports from its Superintendent concerning conditions of efficiency and needs of the schools, and in response to items questioned by the Board. The Board shall take steps to evaluate the effectiveness of the school system. The process is determined by the Board.
The Board shall pass upon the annual budget prepared by the Superintendent.
The Board shall report school needs and progress to the public and the legislature.
Immediately following the close of each fiscal year, and before September 30, the Board shall have an audit made by a competent accountant of the school accounts for the school year ending the preceding June 30 and a certified copy of the audit shall be filed with the Commissioner of Education.
In exercise of its rights and duties, the Board shall prepare and publish a body of rules covering organization, policies and regulations of the school system. The Board will cause its policies and regulations to be kept in constant revision. Regulations of a specific nature by an individual school or community may be prepared by building principals, but are not to contravene or be construed as District wide Board policy.
The Board shall evaluate the Superintendent annually using a Board adopted evaluation instrument. Concurrently, the Board shall perform a self-evaluation using a Board adopted instrument (E 9400 Board Self-Evaluation).
Members of the Board individually will refer compliments, suggestions and constructive criticism about operational matters directly to the Superintendent for appropriate consideration and action. Comments affecting policy will be routed through regular channels to the Board meeting agenda for consideration by the Board as a whole.
In keeping with its ethical responsibility to make decisions in terms of educational welfare for all children in the District, and recognizing that decisions must be made by the Board as a whole, the Board has determined that the rules outlined in the Board Code of Ethics should be followed by each individual Board member in order to maintain the integrity of the Board and protect the Board, the District, and individual Board members from liability. These guidelines are not intended to discourage the free expression of opinion by Board members or to restrict the participation of Board members in the political process in any way. Just as the Board may not unlawfully restrict the First Amendment rights of expression of District employees, the Board does not intend, by this policy, to restrict the First Amendment rights of expression of individual Board members. Rather, this policy addresses issues of governance and ensures that Board members understand and maintain the proper relationship between the Board, the District, the Administration, District employees, and the public.
(cf.9300 - Governance)
(cf.1312 - Public Complaints Concerning the Schools)
(cf.9000 - Role of the Board and Members)
(cf.9010 - Public Statements)
Legal Reference:
ALASKA STATUTES
14.14.090 Duties of school boards