The purpose of school administration is to help create and to foster an environment in which students can learn most effectively.  All administrative duties and functions should be appraised in terms of the goals and objectives and the mission statement created by the school district.

School district administrators have been given a great opportunity and responsibility to manage the school district, to provide educational leadership, and to implement the educational philosophy of the school district.  They are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school district.  In carrying out these operations, the administrators are guided by board policies, the law, the needs of the students, and the wishes of the citizens in the school district community.

It is the responsibility of the administrators to implement and enforce the policies of the board, to oversee employees, to monitor educational issues confronting the school district, and to inform the board about school district operations.  While the board holds the superintendent ultimately responsible for these duties, the principals are more directly responsible for educational results, for the administration of the school facilities and for the employees.

In this series of the board policy manual, the board defines the role and the employment of school district administrators.  Policies in the 400 Series, “Employees,” also apply to administrators unless a more specific policy exists in the 300 Series, “Administration.”

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022       
Revised April 23, 2018

 

The board and the administration will work together to share information and decisions under the management team concept.  The board and the administrators will work together in making decisions and setting goals for the school district.  This effort is designed to obtain, share, and use information to solve problems, make decisions, and formulate school district policies and regulations.

It is the responsibility of each administrator to fully participate in the management of the school district by investigating, analyzing, and expressing their views on issues.  Those board members or administrators with special expertise or knowledge of an issue may be called upon to provide information.  Each board member and administrator will support the decisions reached on the issues confronting the school district.

The board is responsible for making the final decision in matters pertaining to the school district.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022       
Revised January 24, 2022

 

The superintendent, the building principals and any other administrators, for purposes of this Series (Series 300) of this Policy, shall be referred to collectively as “administrators.”

Superintendent of the School District

The superintendent shall be the head administrator and executive officer of the board and shall be directly responsible for the execution of the school district’s policies for the faithful and efficient observance of the school district’s rules by all employees throughout the system, and for the enforcement of all provisions of the law relating to the operation of the schools.

Other Administrators of the School District

The building principals and other administrators shall assist the superintendent and the board in the daily operation of the school district.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022      
Revised January 24, 2022

 

Superintendent

The board will employ a superintendent to serve as the chief executive officer of the board, to conduct the daily operations of the school district, and to implement board policy with the power and duties prescribed by the board and the law.

The board, as needed, may engage in a search for applicants for the position of superintendent of the school district.  The services of a consultant may be engaged to assist in screening and/or selecting candidates to be interviewed by the board.

Other Administrators

The board will employ building principals and other administrators, in addition to the superintendent, to assist in the daily operations of the school district.  It is the responsibility of the superintendent to make a recommendation to the board for filling any administrative position.  The board will act only on the superintendent’s recommendation.

The services of a consultant may be engaged to assist in screening and/or selecting candidates to be interviewed by the board.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022       
Revised January 24, 2022

 

The length of the contract for employment between an administrator and the board is determined by the board.  The contract will state the length of the contract and the terms of employment.  

The first three consecutive years of a contract issued to a newly employed administrator will be considered a probationary period. The probationary period may be extended for an additional year upon the consent of the administrator. In the event of termination of a probationary or non-probationary contract, the board will afford the administrator appropriate due process, as required by law. The administrator and board may mutually agree to terminate the administrator's contract.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to create a contract for each administrative position. The board may issue temporary and nonrenewable contracts in accordance with law.

If an administrator wishes to resign, to be released from a contract, or to retire, the administrator must comply with board policies dealing with retirement, release, or resignation.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022      
Revised January 24, 2022

 

The board has complete discretion to set the salary of the superintendent and/or other administrators.  The board authorizes the superintendent to recommend the salary of other administrators to the board.  It is the responsibility of the board and/or the superintendent to set the salary and benefits of the superintendent and other administrators at a level that will include consideration of, but not be limited to, the economic condition of the school district and the training, experience, skill, and demonstrated competence of the administrator.  The salary is set at the beginning of each contract term.

In addition to the salary and benefits, the administrator’s actual and necessary expenses are paid by the school district when the administrator is performing work-related duties.  It is within the discretion of the board to pay dues to professional organizations for the superintendent.  It is within the discretion of the superintendent to pay dues to professional organizations for the administrator.

The board believes the administrator is to stay current on educational issues, and as such, the board may approve the payment of dues and other benefits or compensation over and above the administrator’s contract.  Approval of dues and other benefits or compensation will be included in the records of the board in accordance with board policy.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022      
Revised January 24, 2022

 

Superintendent

The board employs a superintendent of schools to serve as the chief executive officer of the board.  The board delegates to the superintendent the authority to implement board policy and to execute decisions made by the board concerning the internal operations of the school district, unless specifically stated otherwise.

The superintendent is responsible for the implementation and execution of board policy and the observance of board policy by employees and students.  The superintendent is responsible for overall supervision and discipline of employees and the education program.  In executing the above-stated duties, the superintendent will consider the financial situation of the school district as well as the needs of the students.

Specifically the superintendent:

• Interprets and implements all board policies and all state and federal laws relevant to education;
• Supervises, either directly or through delegation, all activities of the school system according to, and consistent with, the policies of the board;
• Represents the board as a liaison between the school district and the community;
• Establishes and maintains a program of public relations to keep the public well-informed of the activities and needs of the school district, effecting a wholesome and cooperative working relationship between the school district and the community;
• Attends and participates in all meetings of the board, except when the superintendent has been excused, and makes recommendations affecting the school district;
• Reports to the board on such matters as deemed material to the understanding and proper management of the school district or as the board may request;
• Assumes responsibility for the overall financial planning of the district and for the preparation of the annual budget, and submits it to the board for review and approval;
• stablishes and maintains efficient procedures and effective controls for all expenditures of school district funds in accordance with the adopted budget, subject to the direction and approval of the board;
• Files, or causes to be filed, all reports required by law;
• Makes recommendations to the board for the selection of employees for the school district;
• Makes and records assignments and transfers of all employees pursuant to their qualifications;
• Employs such employees as may be necessary, within the limits of budgetary provisions and subject to the board’s approval;
• Recommends to the board, for final action, the promotion, salary change, demotion, or dismissal of any employee;
• Prescribes rules for the classification and advancement of students, and for the transfer of students from one building to another in accordance with board policies;
• Summons employees of the school district to attend such regular and occasional meetings as are necessary to carry out the education program of the school district;
• Supervises methods of teaching, supervision, and administration in effect in the schools;
• Attends such conventions and conferences as are necessary to keep informed of the latest educational trends;
• Accepts responsibility for the general efficiency of the school system, for the development of the employees, and for the educational growth and welfare of the students;
• Defines educational needs and formulates policies and plans for recommendation to the board;
• Makes administrative decisions necessary for the proper functioning of the school district;
• Responsible for scheduling the use of buildings and grounds by all groups and/or organizations;
• Acts as the purchasing agent for the board, and establishes procedures for the purchase of books, materials and supplies;
• Approves vacation schedules for employees;
• Conducts periodic district administration meetings; and,
• Performs other duties as may be assigned by the board.
• Supervises the establishment or modification of the boundaries of school attendance and transportation areas subject to approval of the board.
• Directs studies of buildings and sites, taking into consideration population trends and the educational and cultural needs of the district in order to ensure timely decisions by the board and the electorate regarding construction and renovation projects.

This list of duties will not act to limit the board’s authority and responsibility over the superintendent.  In executing these duties and others the board may delegate, the superintendent will consider the school district’s financial condition as well as the needs of the students in the school district.                 

Other Administrators

The board will employ other administrators to assist the superintendent in the day-to-day operations of the school district.

Building principals shall be responsible for the administration and operation of the attendance center(s) to which they are assigned.  Each building principal, as chief administrator of the assigned attendance center, is responsible for the building and grounds, for the students and employees assigned to the attendance center, for school activities at the attendance center, for the education program offered in the attendance center, and the budget for the attendance center.  The principal is considered the professional advisor to the superintendent in matters pertaining to the attendance center supervised by the principal.

Although the principals serve under the direction of the superintendent, duties of the principal may include, but not be limited to the following:

• Cooperate in the general organization and plan of procedure in the school under the principal’s supervision;
• Supervision of the teachers in the principal’s attendance center;
• Maintain the necessary records for carrying out delegated duties;
• Work with the superintendent in rating, recommending and selecting supervised employees whenever possible;
• Work with the superintendent in determining the education program to be offered and in arranging the schedules.  As much of the schedule as possible should be made before school closes for summer vacation.  In the matter of courses offered, the final approval rests with the superintendent who is in turn responsible to the board;
• Ensure that proper care is taken of all school books, supplies, materials, equipment, furniture and facilities;
• Instruct teachers to make a complete annual inventory of all school property contained in their individual rooms.  This inventory is reviewed and filed with the board secretary;
• Investigate excessive cases of absence or tardiness of students and notify the parents or guardians of unexcused absence or tardiness.  All such cases should be reported to the superintendent;
• Make such reports from time to time as the superintendent may require;
• Maintain the regular schedule of school hours established by the board and make no temporary changes in the schedule without the consent of the superintendent;
• Promptly notify the superintendent whenever ventilation, sanitation or heating of the building is unsatisfactory;
• Contribute to the formation and implementation of general policies and procedures of the school;
• Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent of schools.

This list of duties will not act to limit the board’s authority and responsibility over the position of the administrators.  In executing these duties and others the board may delegate, the administrators will consider the school district’s financial condition as well as the needs of the students in the school district.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022       
Revised January 24, 2022

 

Superintendent

The board will conduct an ongoing evaluation of the superintendent’s skills, abilities, and competence.  At a minimum, the board will formally evaluate the superintendent on an annual basis.  The goal of the superintendent’s formal evaluation is to ensure the educational program for the students is carried out, promote growth in effective administrative leadership, clarify the superintendent’s role, clarify the immediate priorities of the board, and develop a working relationship between the board and the superintendent.

The superintendent will be an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by:

• Mission, Vision and Core Values:  Develop, advocate and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.
• Ethics and Professional Norms:  Act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Equity and Cultural Responsiveness:  Strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment:  Develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction and assessment to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Community Care and Support for Students:  Cultivate an inclusive, caring and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.
• Professional Capacity of School Personnel:  Develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Professional Community for Teachers and Staff:  Foster a professional community of teachers and professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being. 
• Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community:  Engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Operations and Management:  Manage school operations and resources to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• School Improvement:  Act as an agent of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

The formal evaluation will be based upon the following principles:

• The evaluation criteria will be in writing, clearly stated and mutually agreed upon by the board and the superintendent.  The criteria will be related to the job description and the school district’s goals;
• At a minimum, the evaluation process will be conducted annually at a time agreed upon;
• Each board member will have an opportunity to individually evaluate the superintendent, and these individual evaluations will be compiled into an overall evaluation by the entire board;
• The superintendent will conduct a self-evaluation prior to discussing the board’s evaluation, and the board as a whole will discuss its evaluation with the superintendent;
• The board may discuss its evaluation of the superintendent in closed session upon a request from the superintendent and if the board’s discussion in open session will needlessly and irreparably injure the superintendent’s reputation; and,
• The individual evaluation by each board member, if individual board members so desire, will not be reviewed by the superintendent.  Board members are encouraged to communicate their criticisms and concerns to the superintendent in the closed session.  The board president will develop a written summary of the individual evaluations, including both the strengths and the weaknesses of the superintendent, and place it in the superintendent’s personnel file to be incorporated into the next cycle of evaluations.

This policy supports and does not preclude the ongoing, informal evaluation of the superintendent’s skills, abilities and competence.

Other Administrators

The superintendent will conduct an ongoing process of evaluating the administrators on their skills, abilities, and competence.  At a minimum, the superintendent will formally evaluate the administrators annually.  The goal of the administrator’s formal evaluation process is to ensure that the educational program for the students is carried out, student learning goals of the school district are met, promote growth in effective administrative leadership for the school district, clarify the administrator’s role as defined by the board and the superintendent, ascertain areas in need of improvement, clarify the immediate priorities of the responsibilities listed in the job description, and develop a working relationship between the superintendent and the administrator.

The superintendent is responsible for designing an administrator evaluation instrument.  The formal evaluation will include written criteria related to the job description.  The superintendent, after receiving input from the administrators, will present the formal evaluation instrument to the board for approval.

The formal evaluation will also include an opportunity for the administrator and the superintendent to discuss the written criteria, the past year’s performance and the future areas of growth.  The evaluation is completed by the superintendent, signed by the administrator and filed in the administrator’s personnel file.

The principal will be an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by:

 

• Mission, Vision and Core Values:  Develop, advocate and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.
• Ethics and Professional Norms:  Act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Equity and Cultural Responsiveness:  Strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment:  Develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction and assessment to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Community Care and Support for Students:  Cultivate an inclusive, caring and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.
• Professional Capacity of School Personnel:  Develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Professional community for Teachers and Staff:  Foster a professional community of teachers and professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being. 
• Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community:  Engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Operations and Management:  Manage school operations and resources to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• School Improvement:  Act as an agent of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022      
Revised January 24, 2022

 

The board encourages the superintendent and other administrators to continue professional growth by being involved in professional organizations, attending conferences, continuing education, and participating in other professional activities.

It is the responsibility of the administrator to arrange the administrator’s schedule in order to enable attendance at various conferences and events.  If a conference or event requires the administrator to be absent from the office for more than three days, requires overnight travel, or involves unusual expense, the superintendent will bring it to the attention of the board president and the other administrators will bring it to the attention of the superintendent prior to attending the event.

The administrator may be required to report to the board after an event.

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022       
Revised January 24, 2022

 

An administrative position is considered full-time employment.  The board expects administrators to give the responsibilities of their positions in the school district precedence over other employment.  An administrator may accept consulting or outside employment for pay as long as, in the judgment of the board, the work is conducted on the administrator’s personal time and it does not interfere with the performance of the administrator’s duties.

The board reserves the right, however, to request the administrator cease the outside employment as a condition of continued employment.  The board will give the administrator thirty days notice to cease outside employment.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022      
Revised January 24, 2022

 

Administrative regulations may be necessary to implement board policy.  It is the responsibility of the superintendent to develop and enforce administrative regulations.

In developing the administrative regulations, the superintendent may consult with administrators or others likely to be affected by the regulations.  Once the regulations are developed, employees, students and other members of the school district community will be informed in a manner determined by the superintendent.

The board will be kept informed of the administrative regulations utilized and their revisions.  The board may review and recommend change of administrative regulations prior to their use in the school district if they are contrary to the intent of board policy.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022       
Revised January 24, 2022

 

The administrative regulations will be monitored and revised when necessary.  It is the responsibility of the superintendent to monitor and revise the administrative regulations.

The superintendent may rely on the board, administrators, employees, students, and other members of the school district community to inform the superintendent about the effect of and possible changes in the administrative regulations.

 

 

Approved April 23, 2018       
Reviewed January 10, 2022      
Revised January 24, 2022