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WHAT IS A SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES?
The board's role is to oversee the governance of the school or and ensure that everything that needs to be done gets done - legally, ethically, and as well as possible in the best interests of its students.
The board is the employer of all staff, including the principal, and sets the overall strategic direction for the school. The principal is the board's 'CEO’ and manages the day to day operations of the school in line with the board's direction and policies.
WHAT DOES THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DO?
The areas the Board of Trustees oversees are:
setting the strategic direction and targets for the school
planning towards and reporting on achievement targets
curriculum management
financial and property management
policies and procedures
health and safety
employment of staff at the school.
WHAT SKILLS DO BOARD MEMBERS NEED?
Board members should:
work well in a team
understand and think about what they are being told
ask relevant and challenging questions
have good communication skills.
have a genuine interest in the work of the school
be passionate about the welfare of children
have integrity and be honest
Other knowledge or experience in areas such as Education, Finance, Law, Property, Human Resources, Health and /or the Social Sector may be helpful for a board, but not compulsory.
WHO CAN BE A BOARD MEMBER?
Parents of students, caregivers and people from the wider community can all be elected to a board. Board Members do not have to be parents or have children at the school they stand for, but they need to be nominated by a parent of a student.
BOARD MEETINGS
Our school board meets in Week 4 and Week 9 of every term at 5.30pm in the school staffroom. These meetings are open to the public. This means that even if you're not a member you are welcome to attend as an observer although you may not have speaking rights.
Some items on the agenda may need to be discussed in private, for example if they concern a complaint to the board or a disciplinary matter. This is usually done "in-committee"
Board meeting minutes are public documents and are available on our website.
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