How Pennsylvania

Public School
Boards Work

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 Introduction
Elected by the citizens, Pennsylva-
nia’s public school board members
represent their communities’
beliefs and values when making
decisions about the operation of
school districts. These community
representatives give of their time
and talent, without compensation,
to provide high-quality educational
opportunities that prepare children
to live as productive members of
society.

School directors are advocates for

the public education of the stu-
dents and the enhancement of the
community. By incorporating the
community’s view of what students
should know and be able to do at
each grade level, school boards
ensure that the standards for
achievement are met.

School board members are acces-

sible to their district residents and
accountable for the performance
of the district’s schools. They also
serve as the community’s watch-
dog, ensuring that tax dollars are
spent wisely on education.
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What is a
School Board?
The Pennsylvania state constitu-
tion mandates that “The General
Assembly shall provide for the
maintenance and support of a
thorough and efficient public edu-
cation system to serve the needs
of the commonwealth.” A school
board is the locally elected gov-
ernment body that serves as the
agent of the state legislature and
the representatives of the com-
munity in providing a high-quality
education for the students of the
school district.
School boards were officially cre-
ated by the Free School Act of
1834. This law addressed several
areas of school governance,
including:
• Creating school districts.
• Requiring that all children
receive an education regardless
of their status in society.
• Establishing the election of
school directors.
• Empowering school boards
to supervise the creation and
operation of schools and the cer-
tification of teachers.
Each school board consists of
nine members who serve a four-
year term, without pay, as school
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director. School board elections
are held every two years, and the
number of seats up for election is
staggered, with five seats elected
one term, then four seats elected
the alternate term.
Who is Eligible to
Serve as a School
Board Member?
Pennsylvania law requires that
anyone wishing to serve as a
school board member meet the
following criteria:
• A citizen of Pennsylvania.
• Of good moral character.
• At least 18 years old.
• A resident of the school
district in which the person wish-
es to serve for at least one year
prior to appointment. Also, if the
school district divides its repre-
sentation into regions, the poten-
tial school director must be a res-
ident of that region.
School Board
Organization
Each year, school boards across
the commonwealth meet during
the first week of December to
conduct the business of establish-
ing the board’s organizational
structure. The board must elect a
president and vice president,
adopt the meeting calendar for the
next year and appoint committees
and other board positions. Also at
this meeting, the board will swear
in newly elected members.
The school board president is
charged with running the meet-
ings of the board and signing
official documents at the board’s
direction. The vice president will
serve in this capacity in the
absence of the president.
What Does a
School Board Do?
The Pennsylvania Public School
Code is the law that governs the
operation of public schools. The
Public School Code charges every
school board with the responsibility
of “establishing, equipping and
maintaining elementary schools and
such other schools it deems proper
to establish.” The school code also
lists many, but not all, of the pow-
ers that school boards may use to
operate a public school system.
The nine members of the school
board operate as a group and
make decisions as a board. Indi-
vidual board members do not
have the authority to make deci-
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sions regarding school district
policies or operations without
express approval from the entire
school board.
Federal, state and local laws and
regulations also define the role
and responsibilities of school
boards.
One of the primary responsibili-
ties of a school board is to adopt
policies that govern how school
districts operate. These policies
should reflect the board’s vision
and principles and represent the
community’s standards.
School boards are the chief
advocates for public education in
the community. As such, they
must make every effort to
engage their community and
encourage active participation in
the community decision-making
process.
While it is the school board that
sets policy, it is the responsibility
of the school district administra-
tion to develop regulations that
implement those policies.
School boards also are charged
with selecting the superintendent,
the school district’s chief execu-
tive officer. School boards are
responsible for recruiting, hiring
and evaluating the performance
of the superintendent. These
tasks are the sole responsibility
of the school board and cannot
be delegated.
School boards have an overall
responsibility of hiring the staff of
the school district. Typically, the
board relies on the recommenda-
tions of the superintendent. The
superintendent supervises and
manages the school district staff.
School boards do not manage
district staff.
School boards are the final deci-
sion-makers regarding expulsion
and suspension. Many times,
community members want the
board to become active in the
adjudication process at inappropri-
ate times. Because the board may
have to sit in judgment at a later
time, it is important for the board
to remain out of the process until
such time arrives, so that they
may, to the extent possible, make
unbiased decisions.
School Board
Meetings
The school code requires school
boards to meet a minimum of
once every two months. Most
boards meet more frequently.
It is only during official meetings
that a school board has the
authority to take action regarding
school district operations.
Effective school board meetings
allow the public to watch how the
school board works and to com-
ment and provide input into the
decision-making process. The
law requires that school boards
provide time during official meet-
ings for district residents to com-
ment on matters before the
board takes action.
Meetings and the decision-making
of school boards must be carried
out in public. However, the law
does allow for some confidential
issues to be discussed in pri-
vate;ß these are called “executive
sessions.” The law also does not
require that the school board hold
a meeting within the school dis-
trict boundaries. As long as the
board properly announces and
advertises the meeting as
required by law, a meeting may
be held in a location deemed
appropriate by the board.