Resources for You > How the Board Governs

All school boards must operate within a governance system. This gives shape and structure to how the board conducts business, including roles and responsibilities across the district, guiding policies, operational standards, and evaluation mechanisms.  

Our board operates under a governance structure referred to as Policy Governance®.  There has been confusion and frustration over what this means in terms of what powers our board possesses and what decisions we make. As designed, this model means that our board: 

• has the authority and the responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the general public, the “owners” of the school district
• focuses on the larger issues by creating policies to guide organizational work
• makes decisions as a unified body and speak with one voice
• defines the desired goals and expectations for our students and school based on the general public’s priorities and values. 
• delegates responsibilities to administration with clear limitations and lines of accountability
• maintains oversight of administration without direct day-to-day involvement in operations and decision making
• evaluates on an on-going basis how well the organization is meeting its goals and remaining in compliance with all laws and mandates

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The Governance Cycle

How this works in practice is a cycle. A good way to summarize our governance structure is we govern the school district by “going first and last.” First, we set policy and operational limits. 

The Superintendent and staff then apply their knowledge through day to day implementation and management within the boundaries we’ve set. 

We then “go last” by monitoring compliance with policies, Superintendent performance, and reasonable progress towards student and organizational goals.