200.3 Powers & Duties of Board Members

The Board and the Board Members are authorized to govern the District. The Board is entrusted with public funds and is responsible for overseeing the improvement of student outcomes, including student academic achievement and skill proficiency.  As the governing board of the school district, the board has four duties to perform: a legislative duty, an executive duty, an evaluative duty, and a quasi0judi

Legislative Duty: The Board is responsible for legislating policy for the District permissible under Iowa law. As a policy-making body, the Board has jurisdiction to enact policy with the force and effect of law for the management and operation of the District.

Executive Duty: The Board is responsible for selecting its chief executive officer, the Superintendent, to operate the District on the Board's behalf. The Board delegates to the Superintendent its authority to carry out Board policy, to formulate and carry out rules and regulations and to handle the administrative details in a manner which supports and is consistent with Board policy.

Evaluative Duty: The Board is responsible for reviewing the performance of the District’s education program. The Board should regularly review the education program and ancillary services. The review should include a study of the facts, conditions and circumstances surrounding the amount of funds received or expended and the education program's ability to achieve the Board's educational philosophy and goals for the District.

Quasi-Judicial Duty: The board fulfills its quasi-judicial duties in serving as a neutral arbiter fo heaings related to student suspension or expulsion proceedings and certain employment termination hearings and appeals. This important power was granted by the Iowa legislature and cannot be delegated. To preserve the board's neutrality to hear and decide upon these matters, the board does not investigate or become involved in student disciplinary matters or employment matters that may come before it and would require the board to serve in its quasi-judicial role.

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