BBA ©BOARD POWERS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
BBA ©Governing Board Powers
and Responsibilities
The Board shall act as the general agent of the state of Arizona and is responsible for the conduct and supervision of the District in the matter of public education.
The Board is authorized under the laws of the state of Arizona, the Arizona Constitution, the Arizona State Board of Education and other applicable regulations and rules to adopt all policies needed for the organization, evaluation, and governance in the District.
All powers of the Board lie in its action as a public body. A "meeting" is defined as the gathering, in person or through technological devices, of a quorum of members of a public body to discuss, propose or take legal action, including any deliberations with respect to such action that has been properly noticed, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes. Meetings are governed by Arizona's Open Meeting Law, and all meetings must be held in accordance with the requirements of the law.
The Board performs the following basic functions necessary to the discharging of its responsibilities as stated in A.R.S. 15-341 and 15-342, including but not limited to:
A. Prescribe and enforce policies and procedures to govern the schools that are not inconsistent with the laws or rules prescribed by the State Board of Education.
B. Exclude from schools all books, publications, papers or audiovisual materials of a sectarian, partisan or denominational character. This paragraph does not prohibit the elective course allowed by section 15-717.01.
C. Manage and control the school property within its district, except that a district may enter into a partnership with an entity, including a charter school, another school district or a military base, to operate a school or offer educational services in a district building, including at a vacant or partially used building, or in any building on the entity's property pursuant to a written agreement between the parties.
D. Acquire school furniture, apparatus, equipment, library books and supplies for the schools to use.
E. Prescribe the curricula and criteria for the promotion and graduation of pupils as provided in sections 15-701 and 15-701.01.
F. Furnish, repair and insure, at full insurable value, the school property of the District.
G. Construct school buildings on approval by a vote of the District electors.
H. In the name of the District, convey property belonging to the District and sold by the Board.
I. Purchase school sites when authorized by a vote of the District at an election conducted as nearly as practicable in the same manner as the election provided in section 15-481 and held on a date prescribed in section 15-491, subsection E, but such authorization shall not necessarily specify the site to be purchased and such authorization shall not be necessary to exchange unimproved property as provided in section 15-342, paragraph 23.
J. Construct, improve and furnish buildings used for school purposes when such buildings or premises are leased from the national park service.
K. Purchase school sites or construct, improve and furnish school buildings from the proceeds of the sale of school property only on approval by a vote of the District electors.
L. Hold pupils to strict account for disorderly conduct on school property.
M. Discipline students for disorderly conduct on the way to and from school.
Individual Board Member's
Duties and Obligations
Individual Board members exercise authority over District affairs only by way of votes taken at a legal meeting of the Board. An individual Board member has authority only when and to the extent that the Board, by vote, has so delegated such authority.
The duties and obligations of an individual Board member include the following:
A. To become familiar with the state's school laws, regulations of the State Department of Education, and District policies, rules, and regulations.
B. To have a general knowledge of the educational aims and objectives of the District.
C. To work harmoniously with other Board members without neglecting a proper share of the work or trying to dominate the Board.
D. To vote and act in Board meetings impartially for the good of the District.
E. To accept the will of the majority vote in all cases and give wholehearted support to the resulting policy.
F. To accept the responsibility for confidentiality in appropriate matters, especially those dealing with personnel and the divulging of privileged information that could cost the District money, support, or public confidence.
G. To represent the Board and the District to the public in a manner that promotes both interest and support.
H. To refer complaints to the proper school authorities and to refrain from individual counsel and action.
I. To perform other appropriate duties that may arise.
Oath of Office
Board members shall take and subscribe to the oath prescribed for public officers pursuant to A.R.S. 38-231, and forward the acknowledged oath on the same day to the County School Superintendent. The person taking the oath shall file a copy of the acknowledged oath in the District office. The District office shall keep such copy on file as long as the Board member remains on the Governing Board and for a period of five (5) years after last serving on the Board. When a different time is not prescribed, the oath of office shall be taken and subscribed after the Board member has notice of appointment or, if elected, at any time after receipt of the certificate of election, or before commencement of the term of office.
Familiarization with Open
Meeting Law
A newly elected or appointed Governing Board member shall, at least one (1) day before taking office, review the Arizona Open Meeting Law (OML) material prepared by the attorney general.
Quorum and Vacancies
A quorum consisting of a majority of the Board membership shall be necessary to conduct any business. In the event that a quorum is not present within ____________ (____) minutes of the time scheduled, the meeting may be canceled and another meeting scheduled, with due and proper notices as prescribed by policy and law.
When there is a vacancy of one (1) or more members on the Governing Board, a majority of the members remaining constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except that a single Board member does not constitute a quorum. Efforts shall be made to fill vacancies on the Governing Board as soon as is practicable.
Vacancies
Any vacancy of a Governing Board member, as defined in A.R.S. 38-291, may be filled by appointment by the County School Superintendent as prescribed by state law. Such appointment shall be until the next regular election, at which time a successor shall be elected to serve the unexpired portion of the term. The County School Superintendent may call for an election to fill a vacancy on a local Governing Board as an alternative to appointment.
When a vacancy occurs, the Governing Board may, within thirty (30) days after notification of the vacancy, submit to the County School Superintendent up to three (3) names for consideration of an appointment to fill the vacancy. The County School Superintendent is not required to appoint a Governing Board member from the list of names submitted by the Board.
Board Member Resignation
Any Board member who desires to resign from the Governing Board shall send a letter of resignation to the Secretary of State and may send a copy to the office of the County School Superintendent, giving the effective date of resignation. The resigning Board member may furnish a copy of such letter to each member of the Governing Board and to the Superintendent prior to the date on which said resignation is to become effective.
Adopted: November 20, 2005
LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
1-216
15-302
15-321
15-341
15-342
15-381
15-426
38-101
38-231
38-232
38-233
38-291
38-294
38-431.01
A.G.O.
I81-054
I82-111
I84-165
Arizona Constitution, Art. VII, Section 15
Arizona Constitution, Art. XI, Section 2
Attorney General Arizona Agency Handbook, Chapter 7, Open Meetings
CROSS REF.:
KI - Visitors to Schools