Board Members
BP 9200.00
BOARD MEMBERS
Limits of Board Members Authority
The School Board has broad but clearly limited powers. The exercise of its authority is restricted to the functions required or permitted by law, and then only when it acts in a legally constituted meeting. Individual Board members shall submit requests for research or administrative studies to the entire Board for consideration.
(cf. 6162.8 - Research)
(cf. 9322 - Agenda/Meeting Materials)
The Board is the unit of authority. The Board member is a part of the governing body which represents and acts for the community as a whole. Apart from the normal function as part of the unit, the Board member has no individual authority. No individual member of the Board, by virtue of holding office, shall exercise any administrative responsibility with respect to the schools; nor, as an individual, command the services of any school employee. Individually, the Board member may not commit the district to any policy, act or expenditure.
No members of the Board shall be asked to perform any routine or clerical duties which may be assigned to an employee, nor shall any Board member become an employee of his/her district while serving on the Board.
A Board member should resign from the Board before seeking to secure district employment. In no event shall a final decision for hire be made prior to receiving the Board member's resignation.
(cf. 9250 - Remuneration, Reimbursement and other Benefits)
(cf. 9270 - Conflict of Interest)
Board members who visit schools of their own volition have no more authority than any other citizen. Board members have authority only in regularly called meetings of the Board, or when delegated specific tasks by Board action.
(cf. 1250 - Visits to the Schools)
Obligations of Members
Members of the Board must endeavor to attend all meetings, study all materials presented with the agenda prior to attending the meeting, participate in the discussion of any items which come before the Board, and vote on all motions and resolutions, abstaining only for compelling reasons.
The Board member should not subordinate the education of children and youth to any partisan principle, group interest, or the member's own personal interest.
The Board member should be prepared and willing to devote a sufficient amount of time to the study of the problems of education in the district, the state, and the nation in order to interpret them to the people of the district.
(cf. 9230 - Meetings)
Legal Reference:
ALASKA STATUTES
14.14.140 Restrictions on employment
KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Adoption Date: 10/13/99