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SOURCE: Tennessee
School Board Association
School Board
Who
is Eligible?
In order to be
eligible to be elected to a Tennessee school board, one
must be:
- A citizen of Tennessee
- At least 18 years old
- A resident of the school
district
- A high school graduate (or
G.E.D.)
- A registered voter in the
county
Running for
Office
To
become a school board candidate, you must:
- File a petition signed by at
least 25 qualified voters of the school
district. You may pick up a petition at your
local election commission office. The signed
petition must be filed by the deadline
established by the election commission of the
county in which you are running for school board
member.
- Show evidence of a high
school diploma or G.E.D.
Once
you're a candidate
The Campaign Financial
Disclosure Act of 1980 requires all candidates for
public office to file a report of campaign contributions
and expenditures. An Appointment of Treasurers Form must
be filed with the county election commission.
Candidates in local
races must file the conflict of interest statement with
the county election commission in the county of the
candidate's residence. Statements must be filed in the
appropriate office within thirty days after the
qualifying deadline. The disclosure must be written on
the form prescribed by the registry of election finance
and must be signed by one attesting witness.
Members of city and
special school district boards of education are elected
by the people, by the city council, or by a combination
of the two. County school boards are elected, by popular
vote, by district, in non-partisan elections, to
staggered four-year terms of office. Boards of special
school districts are to be elected pursuant to the
provisions of private acts establishing such systems,
and city school boards may be elected by district or at
large.
Compensation for
school board members is set by the organizing authority
(county commission, city council, the Legislature, etc.)
but is subject to the amount set by state law. Members
may not lawfully receive compensation for services other
than those of attending the regular and special meetings
of the board.
Duties of a School Board
The
two basic premises of school board operations are:
- The board is a corporate
body. The authority of a board member includes
expressing an opinion and casting a vote in a
board meeting. Outside a board meeting, a board
member has no authority over school matters.
- The board is a policy-making
body. The board speaks through policy. Matters
which the board chooses not to address through
policy are left to the discretion of the
superintendent. School boards make policy and
superintendents carry out the policy.
In
addition, the Legislature has specified the following
mandatory duties:
Management and
Control. The board of education is to manage and control
all public schools established under its jurisdiction.
This gives the board of education the primary authority
over school matters, but management responsibilities are
delegated to the superintendent.
Employment.
The board has the duty to:
- set salaries for employees;
- grant tenure to employees;
- approve evaluation plans for
employees; and
- hold dismissal hearings when
necessary.
Purchasing.
The board may purchase supplies, furniture, fixtures and
materials of every kind. All expenditures for such
purchases estimated to exceed $10,000 must be made by
competitive bids.
Budget Preparation.
The Board of Education is required to prepare a budget
and to submit it to the appropriate legislative body.
Students.
The Board of Education has several duties regarding
students. The Education Code gives the board the duty to
discipline students after a hearing and the duty to
establish standards and policies governing student
attendance.
Policies.
Local boards of education are required to compile and
publish an official policy manual.
Mandated School Board Training
State Board of
Education Rules and Regulations require each member of a
local board of education to participate annually in
seven hours of training provided through the School
Board Academy. All board members must complete the basic
core modules (Policy, Board/ Superintendent Relations,
Vision, Advocacy and Finance) within a five-year period
after assuming office. Any local board member who fails
to attend training may be removed from office.
New school board
members must attend a two-day Orientation session in
Nashville, plus a seven-hour training session in their
first year. Upon completion of each required session,
board members will receive Academy credit and $75
stipend from the State Department of Education.
SOURCE:
Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) |