Skip To Main Content

202 School Board Officers

202 School Board Officers
  1. 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.

  1. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY
    1. The School Board shall meet annually and organize by selecting a chair, a clerk, a treasurer and such other officers as determined by the School Board.   At its option, the School Board may appoint a vice-chair to serve in the temporary absence of the chair.
    2. The School Board shall appoint the Superintendent who shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the School Board.
  1. ORGANIZATION

The School Board shall meet annually on the first Monday in January, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and organize by selecting a chair, vice-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.

  1. The persons who perform the duties of clerk and treasurer need not be members of the School Board. The Director of Finance is designated as the Assistant Treasurer during the first meeting in January of each year.
  2. 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.
  3. The current Chair or an individual selected by the newly elected board member will administer the Oath of Office to new Board members. The current Chair will preside at the organizational meeting until a new Chair has been elected.
  4. At the Organizational meeting in January, the following should be designated and authorized: school district depositories official newspaper, policies and regulations, meeting location, investment resolution, electronic fund transfers, signatures for petty cash checks and student activity checks, early claim payments, chair, clerk and treasurer facsimile signatures, staff to execute contracts and purchase orders, legal counsel, Board member compensation, and other business conducted necessary to commence activities for the new calendar year.

Other items will be addressed in July to commence activities for the new fiscal year.

  1. As permitted by law, the School Board may review its annual compensation and expense allowance at the organizational meeting in January.
  1. OFFICER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
    1. Chair
      1. The chair when present shall preside at all meetings of the School Board, 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.
    2. Vice-Chair
      1. The vice-chair shall perform the duties of the chair in the event of the chair’s temporary absence.
    3. Treasurer
      1. The treasurer, or assistant treasurer, shall deposit the funds of the school district in the official depository.
      2. The treasurer, or assistant 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 or assistant treasurer, shall receive, endorse, and process the orders in accordance with Minn. Stat. § 123B.12.
    4. Clerk
      1. The clerk or Executive Assistant to the Superintendent shall keep a record of all meetings.
      2. Within three days after an election, the clerk or Executive Assistant to the Superintendent shall notify all persons elected of their election.
      3. In a timely manner, the clerk, either directly or through the administrative staff shall:
        1. file with the School Board a report of the revenues, expenditures and balances in each fund for the preceding fiscal year.
        2. make and transmit to the 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; and
          3. other items of information as called for by the commissioner.
      4. The clerk either directly or through the administrative staff shall furnish to the county auditor, on or before September 30 of each year, amount of proposed property tax voted by the school district or the School Board for school purposes.
      5. The clerk either directly or through the administrative staff 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 all wages and all claims, to be countersigned by the chair.
      6. The clerk or Executive Assistant to the Superintendent shall perform such duties as required by the Minnesota Election Law or other applicable laws relating to the conduct of elections.
      7. The clerk shall perform the duties of the chair in the event of the chair’s and the vice-chair’s temporary absences.
    5. Superintendent
      1. The Superintendent shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the School Board.
      2. The Superintendent shall perform the following:
        1. 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;
        2. recommend to the School Board employment and dismissal of teachers;
        3. superintend school grading practices and examinations for promotions;
        4. make reports required by the commissioner; and
        5. perform other duties prescribed by the School Board.

Legal References                             

  • Minn. Stat. § 123B.12 (Finance)
  • Minn. Stat. § 123B.14 (Officers)
  • Minn. Stat. § 123B.143 (Superintendent) Minn. Stat. § 126C.17 (Referendum Revenue)
  • Minn. Stat. Ch. 205A (School District Elections)

Cross References        

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

POLICY ADOPTED: January 25, 2007

POLICY REVIEWED:  February, 2011; April, 2012

POLICY REVISED: March 24, 2011; April 26, 2012, April 23, 2015, August 17, 2017

Policy