Board Member Responsibilities
Duties of Board Members
The Duplin County Board of Education shall have general control and supervision of all matters pertaining to the Duplin County Schools and shall have the authority to enforce the school law. In addition, certain general powers relating to judicial and legal, regulatory, research and operational functions are vested in the Board.
The Board shall provide a school system and establish general policies in keeping with the needs of the community and the requirements of state law and perform all specific duties imposed by statute. Among the duties of the Board are the following:
- Elect the Superintendent and support him in the discharge of his duties.
- Elect school personnel upon the recommendation of the Superintendent.
- Establish policies affecting the school program.
- Establish school attendance areas.
- Consider and act on appeals from administrative decisions.
- Consider and act on recommendations from the Superintendent in regard to the building needs of the school system.
- Consider and adopt an annual budget upon the recommendation of the administrative staff.
- Consider and act on recommendations from the Superintendent concerning all other needs of the system and assist in interpreting these needs to the community.
- Exert leadership and direction in reaching the highest educational goals.
Legal Reference:115C-36; 115C-44; 115C-47
Roles of Board Members
Role of Members of the Board of Education in Visits to Schools
Members of the Board are encouraged to visit schools in order to inform themselves and to gain a clearer understanding of the daily operation of the system. Members of the Board wishing to visit a school in the district in their official capacity as board members should generally inform the Superintendent or his designate of the desire to visit. Policy questions arising from such visits should be directed to the Superintendent.
In matters concerning the education of their own children, members of the Board act as parents rather than board members and have the same rights and responsibilities as other parents.
Board members should confer, in the same manner as other parents, with the individual teacher or principal about matters growing out of their children's participation in the public schools.
Role of Members of the Board of Education in Handling Complaints
Persons having complaints about school matters shall normally be referred by individual board members to the school employees most directly concerned. Such persons shall also be advised of the normal administrative channels of appeal and urged to use these channels.
When it is necessary for individual members of the Board to become directly involved in such issues they shall channel complaints from parents, patrons or employees to the Superintendent. The Superintendent is responsible for advising the board member of the disposition of any complaint so referred. Individual board members shall refrain from taking action in disregard of administrative channels.
Role of Members of the Board of Education in Informal Meetings with Individual or Groups of Patrons Concerning School Matters
The Board encourages citizen participation in the public schools. Board by-laws and internal policies provide procedures for such citizen participation.
Individual board members should inform any citizen or group of citizens with whom they meet that in such meetings they act only as individuals and not for or on behalf of the Board unless they have been so authorized by official Board action. In addition, board members should avoid situations in which their presence could be inferred by citizens as being officially representative of the Board.
Individual members of the Board should refrain from meeting with groups of school employees to discuss matters relating to employment or conditions of work without specific authorization by official Board action.
When a request is received by a board member to meet with any informal citizen group about school matters, the individual board member should inform the Board chairman and the Superintendent of the request.