What is a School Board?

A school board is a legislative body of citizens called school directors, who are elected locally by the district's registered voters.

School board directors serve as agents of the state legislature. Each board consists of nine members who serve four-year terms of office, without pay. Pennsylvania’s 4,500 school directors, although locally elected, are really state officials, co-partners with the legislature. They are designated by Pennsylvania school law to administer each of the state’s 500 school districts that enroll over 1.5 million children. 

School boards are responsible for establishing a school district’s vision and goals for what students should achieve and developing standards and policies to carry out these goals.

Source:  PA School Boards Association, National School Boards Association, PA Department of Education.

The job of a school board
is governance.

The superintendent is a non-voting member of the school board. The board works as a team with the superintendent to lead the district. The superintendent’s job is to implement the board’s decisions. The day-to-day management and operations of the school district are the responsibility of the superintendent.

School directors do not have the authority to act individually; they only have authority as a collective body. School boards are responsible for establishing a school district’s vision and goals for what students should achieve and developing standards and policies to carry out these goals.

The responsibilities of a school board include:

  • Hire, support, and oversee the Superintendent

  • Approve the annual District budget

  • Set educational goals and priorities aligned with the District mission

  • Develop, adopt, revise and review District policy

  • Responsibly steward District revenue from sources including local property taxes

  • Approve capital and infrastructure projects

  • Ensure compliance with local, state and federal laws

  • Engage openly and consistently with the community

  • Advocate for public education as a cornerstone of democracy

Source: PA School Boards Association “Essentials of School Board Service”

The responsibilities of a school board do not include:

  • Evaluate teachers, coaches or other staff members except for the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent

  • Direct or get involved with how planned instruction (curriculum) is taught

  • Influence the administration’s personnel recommendations or engage in nepotism

  • Conduct investigations, interviews or question students or staff about an incident

  • Get directly involved with student or staff discipline

  • Allow student, community or staff concerns to be brought directly to the board, rather than through the district chain of command

Source: PA School Boards Association “Essentials of School Board Service”