3. The Organization and Powers of the Local Board of Education.  
Local boards of education are responsible for the control and management of the public schools within their jurisdiction. In addition to this broad authority, state law sets out a number of specific duties and responsibilities of all local boards. In order to carry out the constitutional and statutory duties required of it, the board must act as a body and to do this it must organize so that it can operate in an orderly fashion. The manner in which a local board organizes may vary from school district to school district, depending upon the local act which applies to each separate board. This chapter outlines how local boards are organized, their members compensated and the authority granted by law to them. State law also sets forth those instances when the board or individual board members may have a conflict of interest which would restrict the board or one or more of its members from a particular course of action.
 
Questions
3. 1 Should a board of education adopt a charter or bylaws to govern itself?
3. 2 How does a board of education select its chair?
3. 3 May the board elect its chair by secret vote?
3. 4 What are the duties and authority of the board chair?
3. 5 Are there other officers of the board and what are their duties?
3. 6 How are members of the board compensated?
3. 7 Is the compensation received by board members taxable income?
3. 8 May board members be reimbursed for travel and other expenses?
3. 9 May a local board provide its members with group medical and dental insurance?
3. 10 What are the most significant duties and functions of the board of education?
3. 11 What responsibility does the board have for instructional programs?
3. 12 What other authority or powers does the local board have?
3. 13 What conflict of interest rules apply to local board members?
3. 14 Is it a conflict of interest for a board member to vote on the budget or the employment of a new superintendent if a member of the board member’s immediate family is employed by the board?
3. 15 Must the board adopt a code of ethics which is mandatory for all board members?
3. 16 What authority does an individual have by virtue of being elected to a board of education?
3. 17 What information must be provided to an individual board member who requests information concerning the grades of a specific student or other information from a student’s records?
3. 18 Is a board member entitled to see teacher evaluations?
 
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