What does a School Director do for our District?
Learn more about the qualifications and responsibilities of this position.
Qualifications
- Citizen of the commonwealth
- Good moral character
- At least 18 years of age
- A resident of the district at least one year prior to date of election or appointment
The School Director is selected by local electors and is responsible to students, residents, taxpayers, parents, staff, the General Assembly.
Mission
The board, consisting of nine elected individuals, acts as a legislative body within the framework of state laws and regulations. The authority of the board is defined as what is explicitly authorized or what state law and regulations necessarily imply. Decision-making power is limited to group decisions exercised only at duly advertised public "sunshine" meetings. No board member has legal authority as an individual, outside of these public meetings, unless authorized by a vote or resolution of a majority of the board.
School boards were created by the state legislature in 1834 to help implement the state constitutional mandate to provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the commonwealth.
Responsibilities
- Represent the public interest (the "common good").
- Know enough to ask the right questions by doing your homework and participating in other learning opportunities.
- Hold public meetings at least once every two months.
- Spend as many hours as necessary per month on school board activities.
- Hire a superintendent and an administration who understand that their role is to implement policies adopted by the board. Work harmoniously and honestly with them.
- Provide adequate and effective personnel for staffing the school program.
- Encourage improvement of the educational program through continuing staff and board development.
- Bargain with teachers and other groups of employees pursuant to Act 195 (1970) and Act 88 (1992) if they are unionized. Conduct Act 93 (1984) "meet and discuss" meetings with administrators.
- Provide direction to administrators through policy.
- Provide and maintain educationally efficient school facilities.
- Secure adequate financial resources and adopt a yearly budget.
- Approve textbooks between April and August of each year, as recommended by the superintendent.
- Ensure that individuals with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment, pursuant to federal and state laws.
- Provide transportation for nonpublic students as far as 10 miles outside of district boundaries.
- Provide opportunities for communication between the board and its stakeholders.
- File the state Ethics Act Financial Disclosure forms by May 1 of each year.
- Once a year, spend one full day evaluating goals and objectives established the previous year. These goals and objectives should be consistent with the district's strategic plan.
- Review, revise, create and adopt policy.
- Evaluate policies, programs and superintendent's performance.
- Once a year, the board should engage in a self-evaluation activity.
- Work as effective team members and help build consensus.
- Keep the superintendent and fellow board members advised of community reaction to school policies.
- Encourage and support the superintendent to consult with staff and community to seek opinions and recommendations for board consideration.
Superintendent Evaluations
The PA School Code requires formal written performance assessments of the District Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent. The Peters Township Board of School Directors conducted their evaluation of Superintendent Dr. Jeannine French; similarly, Dr. French evaluated Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Murphy and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michael Fisher. Dr. French, Dr. Murphy and Dr. Fisher have satisfactorily met the outlined objective standards. Click below to view the standards.