1710 - Powers and Duties of the Board

The board recognizes that the primary mission of the Washington common schools is to assure learning experiences to help all children develop skills and attitudes fundamental to receiving individual satisfaction as responsible, contributing citizens. 

As trustee for the community’s schools, the Board of Directors is responsible for: 

1. Community Representation: Learning the concerns and aspirations that all segments of the community have for the schools and attempting to find ways to accommodate them, where possible, so that the schools will accurately respond to the needs of the community. 
2. Policy Development: Adopting policies that will guide and develop the district’s educational program. 
3. Operations Assessment: Generally overseeing district operations and taking such actions as are necessary to assure compliance with law and district policy, as well as the development of the educational program. 
4. Fiscal Management: Authorizing the district’s annual budget and approving expenditures pursuant to that budget. 
5. Dispute Resolution: As the final arbiter within the district, resolving disputes brought by students, staff, or patrons, except those which by law or contract are assigned elsewhere for resolution. 

The Board of Directors is the legislative body of the district, and shall exercise the full authority granted to it by the laws and regulations of the State of Washington. 

The Board requests each of its members to subscribe to the code of ethics detailed in the accompanying regulation. 

1. Be a staunch advocate of free public education; 
2. Uphold and enforce all laws, State Board rules and regulations and court orders pertaining to schools (desired changes should be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures); 
3. Make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and strive for public schools which can meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, sex, creed, or social standing; 
4. Join with fellow members of the board, the staff, the community and the students in continuing study of the nature, value and direction of contemporary education in society in order to facilitate needed change in our schools; 
5. Work unremittingly to help the people of the community understand the importance of public education and the need to support it; 
6. Strive to ensure that people are accurately informed about our schools and try to interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its schools; 
7. Recognize that his/her responsibility is not to run the schools, but together with fellow board members, to see that they are well run; 
8. Confine his/her board action to policy making, planning and apprising, and help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them; 
9. Arrive at conclusions only after discussing all aspects of the issues at hand with fellow board members assembling in meeting; 
10. Recognize that authority rests with the whole board assembled in public meetings and make no personal promises nor take any private action which may compromise the board; 
11. Refuse to surrender independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools for personal gain or for the gain of friends; 
12. Hold confidential matters pertaining to the schools, which, if disclosed, would injure individuals or the schools; 
13. Vote to appoint, upon proper recommendation by the appropriate administrative officer, the best-trained technical and professional personnel available; 
14. Support and protect school personnel in proper performance of their duties; and 
15. Refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and act upon such complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution