VOTE411 Voter Guide

An Orrville City School District board member s responsibilities in Ohio include setting and monitoring district goals, creating and approving policies and budgets, hiring and evaluating the superintendent and treasurer, ensuring fiscal accountability, and representing the community to advocate for students and public education.Board members do not manage daily operations, which is the superintendent s role, but instead focus on advocating for students, advising the superintendent, and serving as a legislative body that sets the overall direction for the schools.Key Responsibilities:Strategic Planning: Adopt and monitor shared visions, goals, and systems to ensure the district achieves its objectives.Policy & Budget: Create, approve, and enforce policies that guide school operations, curriculum, and measures of success, and adopt the annual budget and appropriating measures.Superintendent & Treasurer Oversight: Hire, evaluate, and work closely with the superintendent (the district s CEO) and treasurer, who manage daily operations and finances.Fiscal Health: Be accountable for the district s financial health and ensure resources are used wisely to provide educational opportunities for students.Community Relations: Serve as a liaison between the school district and the community, informing the public about school progress and soliciting public input on important decisions.Equity and Accountability: Ensure equitable programs, facilities, and outcomes for all students, and ensure the system is accountable for its goals.Advocacy: Advocate for students, the school district, and public education at all levels.Key Aspects of the Role:Non-Management Role: Board members are not responsible for the day-to-day management of the schools, but rather oversee the professional administrators who do.Policy-Making Body: The board s primary function is to act as a legislative body that formulates and adopts policy, which the superintendent then implements.Community Representation: Elected board members are lay citizens who represent the community s interests in educational matters.Fiduciary Duties: Board members have legal and ethical fiduciary duties, including care, loyalty, and obedience, to the district.What a Board Member Does Not Do:Manage Daily Operations: A board member does not manage the day-to-day functions of the district s schools.Individual Action: They cannot act for the board as an individual or speak on behalf of the board without specific authorization.Administrative Functions: Board members do not have administrative functions; that power is delegated to the superintendent and staff.Ethical Considerations:Best Interests: Board members must vote in the best interests of the entire school district.Confidentiality: They must maintain confidentiality on matters such as personnel, student information, and land acquisitions.Teamwork: It is important to share and defend views but also to listen to others and work with fellow board members to establish effective policies.