School Board

What Does A School Board Do?

Why do we elect a school board to govern our schools? After all, we have professionals of whom we require advanced degrees and professional licenses. In our democratic system, every governmental agency requires citizen oversight. This is the way we do the public’s business in our country. Our system of oversight also provides several advantages in educating students. First, the system enables citizens to hold the school district accountable for the two valuable assets entrusted to it—the citizens’ children and the citizens’ money. Who better than taxpaying citizens to ensure the most efficient use of resources in providing the best possible education? Second, our students learn best if the community truly cares about education and communicates that value at every opportunity. The effective school board advocates on behalf of the district, the students, and the importance of learning.

 

Because they serve the community, board members must work with the public as they establish the mission and direction of education. It’s up to the board to engage the community in public education. A board member must be a skilled decision-maker and team player, a public-education advocate, a vital link between community and school, and a policy maker. As a public employer, the board establishes policies that govern the recruitment, employment, supervision, evaluation and dismissal of employees.
 

Embedded in most district policies is the understanding that an individual board member has no authority. Only a majority of the board, meeting in public, has the authority to make decisions.  

 

LISTED BELOW ARE SOME OF THE KEY ROLES OF THE BOARD AS A WHOLE ENTITY, THE BOARD CHAIR AND THE SUPERINTENDENT 

 

Board Roles

• Hiring and supervising the superintendent
• Establishing district vision and goals
• Setting district policies
• Adopting a budget and aligning resources to priorities
• Approving contracts

 

Board Chair Roles

• Presiding at, and ensuring the orderly conduct of, all meetings of the board 
• Working with the superintendent in planning the board’s agendas
• Calling special meetings when required
• Appointing all committees and serving as an ex-officio member of those committees, unless otherwise ordered by the board
• Signing official documents that require the chair's signature
• Assuming other duties authorized by the board

 

Superintendent's Roles

• Managing the district’s day-to-day activities
• Supervising all staff
• Creating action plans to meet the board’s goals and priorities
• Establishing regulations and procedures
• Overseeing district expenditures
• Handling employee relations
• Reporting progress to the board
• Collaborating with the board in the establishment of goals, policies, and the budget

The board’s major responsibility is setting policy. The board hires a superintendent, who in turn hires staff to put policies into practice. The chief executive is accountable to the board for managing the district according to board policies.

Because they serve the community, board members must work with the public as they establish the mission and direction of education. It’s up to the board to engage the community in public education.

A board member must be a skilled decision-maker and team player, a public-education advocate, a vital link between community and school, and a policy maker.

As a public employer, the board establishes policies that govern the recruitment, employment, supervision, evaluation and dismissal of employees.

Board members must also do the following:

• Establish budgets
• Set goals, evaluate progress toward those goals
• Ask voters to approve bond measures and local option levies for facilities and operations
• Guide collective bargaining
• Choose transportation systems
• Evaluate the superintendent

 

The Jefferson School District 14J Board of Directors is an active member of the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA).

About Board Meetings

Public Meetings

Most gatherings of the board of education are defined as public meetings under the law, and bringing together members of the board to discuss district business is subject to the Public Meetings Law (ORS 192.610-192.990). A board meeting occurs when a quorum is present to gather information or decide or deliberate on any public matter. Since the JSD14J  Board consists of five members, a "quorum" means three members. It is a major responsibility of the board chair to know the rules and ensure that the board follows them.

 To be read the Oregon Attorney General's Public Records and Meetings Manual available on Oregon Dept. of Justice/Attorney General website, click on the link. 

THREE TYPES OF MEETINGS

Regular—A regular meeting is generally one that is included on the official school year board calendar that is approved at the annual organizational meeting (typically in July). For JSD 14J, these are held on the 2nd Monday of the month. This may also include a work session that is regularly scheduled such as the annual Leadership Team Goals Workshop.

Special—Special meetings can be called at any time to conduct any business and include anything that is scheduled after the board calendar is approved at the annual organizational meeting. As much notice as possible should be provided, but 24 hours’ notice is required. The Board can conduct any type of business at a special meeting.

Emergency—Emergency meetings can be held only in the case of an actual emergency that justifies less than 24 hours’ notice. Only matters relating to the emergency can be discussed or acted upon at the emergency meeting.

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

Executive sessions can be held during a regular, special or emergency meeting as an agenda item but are not stand-alone meetings. The general public is not allowed to observe executive sessions and no board action may occur during these sessions.  Minutes must be kept for the executive session, but those minutes are not released to the public. The media is allowed to attend executive sessions except meetings relating to labor negotiations, to expel a student, to discuss a student’s confidential medical record or for litigation in which the reporter or media is involved. 

EXECUTIVE SESSION can be held for the following reasons: ORS 192.660

• To consider the employment of a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent. ORS 192.660(2)(a). The AG manual specifies that this is only for the initial hiring of an individual. This does not apply to appointing a board member to fill a vacancy. There are additional advertising and procedural requirements found in ORS 192.660(7)(d).
• To consider the dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaint or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent who does not request an open hearing. ORS 192.660(2)(b). The person addressed in the complaint must be notified in order to give them the opportunity to request an open session.
• To conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to carry on labor negotiations. ORS 192.660(2)(d). The actual labor negotiations must be held in open session unless both parties agree to hold them in executive session. ORS 192.660(3).
• To conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to negotiate real property transactions. ORS 192.660(2)(e).
• To consider records exempt by law from public inspection. ORS 192.660(2)(f).
• To consult with counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed. ORS 192.660(2)(h).
• To review and evaluate the performance of the chief executive officer, employee or staff member, unless the person whose performance is being reviewed and evaluated requests an open hearing. ORS 192.660(2)(i).
• To consider matters relating to school safety or a plan that responds to safety threats made toward a school. ORS 192.660(2)(k).
• To conduct a hearing on the expulsion of a student or to review a student’s confidential medical records. ORS 332.061(1).

 Resources to help explain Oregon's public records and meetings law including running effective meetings.

(Information on this page provided by OSBA-Oregon School Boards Association)

 

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How do board meetings work?

The Board Chair calls the meeting to order and asks for a motion to approve the agenda and, assuming this occurs, proceeds to guide them through it. All meeting materials are available online via our website.  This system catalogues all previous meetings and serves as the public notice/access for all meetings. 

Typically a meeting starts with reports from various staff, students and administrators. This is typically a time for the board to listen and ask questions. There may be an occasional board action to approve a motion during these agenda itmes and it will be noted in the meeting posting. There is an agenda item for the public to address the Board. This can be used by members of the public to inform the board of things happening in the community or for staff or the public to share concerns. Speakers may offer objective criticism of school operations and programs however, the law prohibits the Board from hearing complaints regarding any personally identifiable District staff member. The Board’s role during public comment is not to immediately respond, but to listen. If there is follow-up necessary, the Board Chair will direct our Superintendent to do so.

Now let's get down to business!

The Board typically makes the majority of motions under the NEW or UNFINISHED BUSINESS agenda items. These may include budget appropriations, authorizing the purchase of new curriculum or approving the school calendar. The Board Chair states the motion and, if necessary, explains the repercussions of the vote. If the agenda item includes a presentation or explanation to the board, the Board Chair will defer to the appropriate person to do so. After the presentation, it is appropriate for the Board Chair to request a motion be made and seconded before further discussion takes place. Only then should they recognize a speaker, to discuss only the motion on the floor. The makers of the motion and the second have the right to speak first. If there is no motion to discuss the agenda item, the Board Chair should move to the next agenda item.

Assuming there is a motion (and a second) for discussion, after the vote is taken the Board Chair should state for the record whether the motion passes or fails and the vote count. At that point there should be no further discussion on that motion.

What is a Consent Agenda?

It is an agenda item that consists of routine business that requires action but not necessarily discussion and voted on in a block. If a board member wants to discuss an item, it will be pulled off the consent agenda and considered under its own motion. 

Board Meetings:

The Jefferson School Board meets the third Thursday of each month in the District Board Room, at 5:30 p.m. The Board Room is located in the building directly behind the District Office. Individuals wishing to address the Board during audience time will be asked to sign in upon arrival. To request the addition of an item to the agenda, contact the Board Secretary at 541-327-3337, x 1051. Agendas are available the Tuesday preceding the meeting. Minutes, once available, are unofficial until approved by the Board.  Meeting notices are published in the Albany Democrat Herald and on the district website.

 

Addressing the Board:

• Sign in if you wish to address the Board during audience time.
• When called upon, state your name for the record.
• Keep comments brief and concise.
• Be respectful, and careful not to refer to students or staff in a negative or derogatory manner.
• A response should not be expected during the meeting.
• Comments will be taken into consideration.   

 

General Audience Information:

• Audience time is provided at each meeting for community input.
• Items for the agenda can be suggested to the board secretary by the Monday before the meeting.
• Send suggestions to jennifer.oertel@jefferson.k12.or.us or call 541-327-3337, ext. 1051.
• The meeting agenda is posted on the district website.
• Except for executive session, meetings are open to the public.

JSD 14J Board of Directors Meeting 

 

During each regularly scheduled meeting of the Jefferson School District Board, the agenda will include an item titled “Comments from the Audience.” It is during this portion of the agenda that the public can comment.

Per HB 2560 requires all public meetings must allow virtual and/or telephone access which is provided below.   

Public participation is a time for the Board to listen, not a time for in-depth discussion or to respond to questions, as the Board needs adequate time to process the information received to ensure proper steps are taken going forward. The Board may direct questions to administrative staff to respond to after the meeting. If input is given related to an action item later in the agenda, the Board will use the input during their discussion or deliberation of that specific item.

The Board cannot hear complaints about specific personnel during an open meeting. If a patron has a specific complaint against personnel, the Board Chair or the Superintendent can direct the patron to the appropriate complaint process governed by Board Policy.

If you are unable to attend the meeting virtually, you may send a public comment to be read at the board meeting by the board secretary, via email until 1:00 PM on the board meeting day, to jennifer.oertel@jefferson.k12.or.us.  

JSD Live Streamed Events

Click the box below for our JSD policy website:

Jefferson SD 14J Policy Website

Handling Board Correspondence

Letters sent to the board of education through the board chair should be shared with other board members, but it is not appropriate to consume meeting time reading letters aloud. Copies of letters can be included in each board member’s information packet and should be maintained by the board secretary in a board correspondence file as part of your district’s public records.

 

Communication with the Board and Public

The primary role of the chair, other than to run meetings, is to be the voice of the board. The chair represents the collective will of the board to other community boards and commissions and to the public, including the media. The authority to chair is conferred by all members of the board – therefore, the chair is no more powerful than any other board member. The chair can be overruled at any time by a simple majority vote of the board.  

 

Staff Communications to the Board (policy BG)

All formal communications or reports to the Board, or any Board committee, from staff members will be submitted through the superintendent. This procedure will not be construed as denying the right of any employee to appeal to the Board. In addition, this procedure does not restrict protected labor relations communications of bargaining unit members. The superintendent must be notified of the forthcoming appeal and the appeal process in accordance with the Board’s policy on complaints and grievances. Staff members are invited to Board meetings, which provide an opportunity to observe the board’s deliberations on matters of district operations.

 

Board Communications to Staff (policy BG)

All official Board communications, policies and directives of staff interest and concern will be communicated to the staff through the superintendent. The superintendent will provide appropriate communication to keep staff fully informed of the Board’s policies, deliberations, and actions.

 

Visits to Schools (policy BG)

Visits by Board members will be carried out only under Board authorization and with the full knowledge of staff, including the superintendent, principal and other appropriate supervisors. School visits by Board members will be regarded as informal expressions of interest in school affairs and not as “inspections” or visits for supervisory or administrative purposes. Board members visiting in any other capacity will follow usual procedures for visitors.

 

Board Communication Via Email or Group Text

Email has the potential to lead to improper (illegal) meetings under Oregon’s Public Meeting Laws. All emails are also subject to Oregon’s Public Records Laws. Therefore, it’s necessary to ensure that email is used properly to take care of necessary business and avoid its use when it could lead to a violation of Public Meeting Law.

Appropriate uses for email/text by board members:

• Dissemination of information by a board member to other board members with NO discussion. Oneway – no reply! (However, if the board ever discusses this topic at a board meeting, the material should later be included in that meeting’s packet.)
• Dissemination of information where the reply is not a matter or matters over which the board has supervision, control, jurisdiction or advisory power, i.e. availability for a meeting.
• Polling of board members by a member of the administration or press or public. The results of the polling of the members is not shared with the other members.
• Inappropriate usage of email/text by board members:
• Discussions between more than two board members on a matter over which the board has authority even though the number of school board members involved does not constitute a quorum.
• Forwarding of a school board member’s comments to another board member on a matter over which the board has authority.
• Polling the board members by a board member. 

SCHOOL FUNDING OVERVIEW

At its most basic level, an Oregon public school gets its funding through three primary sources: local property taxes, state income taxes and federal grants. Property taxes used to be the main source of a school's money, and districts do still get significant distributions from the counties they serve. Many districts also ask voters for extra property taxes — to fund bond programs (typically for building or improving schools) or local option levies. Local revenue is raised by or flows to local school districts. Federal revenue is allocated to school districts primarily based on eligibility for federal education programs.

In the 1990's, Oregon passed two ballot measures (Measure 5 and Measure 50) that shifted a major portion of the responsibility for school funding to the state. Those measures gave schools a maximum dollar amount they could collect, and froze taxable property values — the combined effect was for schools to ask the state legislature for help. These days, K-12 education makes up about 40 percent of the state’s budget. The Legislative Assembly, after debate and deliberation, sets the amount of state dollars that schools are to receive for a two-year funding cycle.

The state’s general fund money comes almost entirely from income taxes. Federal dollars come through various sources: the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for special education, Title IV-B for after-school programs, Title II for teacher professional learning, etc. But a major source of funding is Title I, given to schools that serve communities where more than 35 percent of children are in poverty. In Oregon, more than 550 schools — about half — are eligible for Title I dollars. In JSD 14J, the schools that qualify as Title I are the Jefferson Elementary School.

Other Sources

Beyond local, state and federal tax dollars, there are other sources of revenue for public schools. These include things like Measure 110 (marijuana tax), Measure 98 (High School Success) and  House Bill 3427 (Corporate Activity Tax-CAT).

The Common School Fund is a trust set up at Oregon’s founding. Managed timber sales and other natural-resource extraction fuel this account.

The Oregon Lottery allocates 53 percent of its money to education, which also includes colleges and universities. 

Parent Teacher Associations/Booster Clubs can raise money too. These funds typically pay for materials, trips, athletics, playground equipment, or other “extras.” The money cannot be used for staff salaries. 

 

School Boards don’t tend to involve themselves in day-to-day expenses. Instead, they can direct money into long-term investments and planning, such as technology goals or new schools. Sometimes they will set directives on things like class size limits, which translates to a mandate to hire more teachers.

SO WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

The state uses a complicated distribution formula that tracks how many kids are in each school and how many of those fall into a category of extra need. For example, students who qualify for special education get a double weight in the formula, students who aren’t native English-speakers earn 150 percent, etc. Although districts are provided funding based on the student need formula (called ADMw or Average Daily Membership weighted), the dollars are not tied to any particular student. 

Approximately 85 percent of public education funding goes to staff salaries and benefits. That is why you may have heard what a big deal it is that Oregon doesn’t have enough money for the retirement benefits it promised to public employees. The Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) hasn’t brought in the anticipated revenues from its investments, which means schools may have to backfill from their own budgets.  After personnel costs come busing contracts, curriculum materials, professional development, central-office programs, nutrition programs, building maintenance and a rainy day fund. After all that, school principals are left with a relatively small piece of the pie to pay for the things they need for day-to-day operations.

HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK IN JSD?

The JSD 14J Budget Committee consists of the Board of Directors and an equal number of citizens that review the school district’s proposed budget. This work is done during one or more public meetings. The public is encouraged to attend because one of the most important purposes of the committee is to take comments and questions from interested citizens. The committee can make changes to the proposed budget to reflect changes it wants to make in order to meet the goals and objectives established by the school board. When it is satisfied, the committee approves the budget.

Each of the members has the same authority, whether school board member or appointed citizen. Each appointed member is appointed for staggered 3-year terms. The committee cannot receive reimbursement for expenses incurred while serving.

Phase 1 - The Business Director puts together a proposed budget in a format designed by the Department of Revenue and to meet the goals and objective set by the school board.

Phase 2 - The JSD 14J  Budget Committee reviews the proposed budget, listens to comments from citizens, and then approves the budget. (typically occurs at the end of May)

Phase 3 - The approved budget is presented to the JSD 14J Board at a special meeting called a Budget Hearing. This typically occurs as a separate meeting prior to the normal June board meeting.  Assuming they accept the Budget Committee's approval of the proposed budget, they formally adopt it with a board motion. This process also certifies property taxes to the county tax assessor. 

Phase 4 - This occurs during the fiscal year. This phase often includes changes to the adopted budget. Changes must be approved by the school board, and possibly a supplemental budget process. Changes to the adopted budget must be made before additional money is spent or money is spent for a different purpose than described in the adopted budget.

 

 

To watch an OSBA webinar on school funding and budget committee basics

Budget Committee Basic Webinar

 

To view the OSBA Budget Committee Handbook

Budget Committee Handook

Click the links below for some wonderful learning opportunities available to Board Members or people interested in becoming a Board Member!