ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Harlan Community School District Board is authorized by and derives its organization from Iowa law.  The Board will consist of 7 Board members.  Board members are elected at-large by director district.

The Board is organized for the purpose of setting policy and providing general direction for the school district.  The Board will hold its organizational meeting at the first regular meeting following the canvass of votes.  The retiring Board will transfer materials, including the board policy manual, and responsibility to the new Board.

The organizational meeting allows the outgoing Board to approve minutes of its previous meetings, complete unfinished business and review the school election results.  The retiring Board will adjourn and the new Board will then begin.  The Board Secretary will administer the oath of office to the newly-elected Board members. The Superintendent will preside while the new Board elects the president.

Legal Reference:       
Iowa Code §§ 274.2; 275.23A; 277.23, .28, .31; 279.1, .5, .7, .8 , .33 (2013).
281 I.A.C. 12.3(2).

Cross Reference:       
202      Board of Directors Members
206.1    President
206.2   Vice-President
210      Board of Directors' Meetings

Adopted: 8.8.1988
Revised/Reviewed: 11.18.2019

Reviewed 02.21.2022

POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The board, acting on behalf of the school district, will have jurisdiction over school matters within the territory of the school district.

The board is empowered to make policy for its own governance, for employees, for students and for school district facilities.  The board is also empowered to enforce its policies.  The board may, through its quasi-judicial power, conduct hearings and rule on issues and disputes confronting the school district.

The board has these powers and all other powers expressly granted to it in federal and state law as well as the powers that can be reasonably implied from the express powers.

Legal Reference:       
Board of Directors of Ind. School Dist. of Waterloo v. Green, 259 Iowa 1260, 147 N.W.2d 854 (1967).
Iowa Code §§ 28E; 274.1-.2; 279.8 (2013).
281 I.A.C. 12.1(2).
1990 Op. Att'y Gen. 66.

Cross Reference:      
209 Board of Directors' Management Procedures

Adopted: 11.18.2019

Reviewed 02.21.2022

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The board is authorized to govern the school district which it oversees.  As the governing board of the school district, the board has three duties to perform:  legislative duty, executive duty and evaluative duty.

As a representative of the citizens of the school district community, the board is responsible for legislating policy for the school district.  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 school district.

It is the responsibility of the board, under the board's executive duty, to select its chief executive officer, the superintendent, to operate the school 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.

The board has a responsibility to review the education program's performance under its evaluative duty.  The board regularly reviews the education program and ancillary services.  The review includes a careful study and examination 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 school district.

Legal Reference:       
Iowa Code §§ 274.1; 279.1, .8, .20; 280.12 (2013).
281 I.A.C. 12.3(2).

Cross Reference:      
101 Educational Philosophy of the School District
103 Long-Range Needs Assessment
209 Board of Directors' Management Procedures
600 Goals and Objectives of the Education Program 

Adopted: 11.18.2019

Reviewed 02.21.2022

 

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING PROCEDURES

The board will hold its organizational meeting in odd-numbered years at the first regular meeting following the canvass of votes.  Notice of the meeting's place and time will be given by the board secretary to each member, member-elect and the public.

The purpose of the meeting is to transfer material and responsibility from the outgoing board to the new board.  At the meeting, the board will elect a president and a vice president who will hold office for one year.  Once elected, the president and vice president will be entitled to vote on all matters before the board.

Meeting Procedure

The organizational meeting of the board will be held in two parts:  the final meeting of the outgoing board and the organizational meeting of the new board.

1. Final Meeting of the Retiring Board
   1. Call to Order
   2. Roll call.
   3. Recognition of Guests and Public Comments.
   4. Approval of minutes of previous meeting(s). 
   5. Unfinished business.
      1. Current claims and accounts (for the retiring board to authorize).
   6. Examine and settle the books for the previous year.
   7. Review of election results.  The board secretary will present the county auditor's official report on the latest elections.  Official results are recorded in the minutes
   8. Adjournment of the retiring board.

 

2. Organizational Meeting of the New Board
   1. Superintendent, as president pro-tem, will preside over the meeting until a new board president is elected.
   2. Call to order.
   3. Roll call.
   4. Oath of office.  The board secretary will administer the oath to new members.
   5. Election of a president of the board.  The president pro-tem calls for nominations; nominations need not be seconded.  The board will then do a roll call vote on the nominations.  The secretary will announce the result of the vote, and the board secretary will administer the oath of office to the newly elected president and the newly elected president will assume the chair.
   6. Election of the vice-president.  The president of the board will call for nominations; the nominations need not be seconded.  The board will then do roll call vote on the nominations.  The president will announce the results and administer the oath of office to the vice-president.
   7. Board appreciation recognizing the public service rendered by retiring board members.
   8. Review of school attorneys. 

Other regular board items of business may follow organizational meeting.​​

1. Board appreciation recognizing the public service rendered by retiring board members.

Legal Reference:       
Iowa Code §§ 274.2; 275.23A; 277   
281 I.A.C 12.3.

Cross Reference:      
202 Board of Directors Members
206.1 President
206.2 Vice-President
210 Board of Directors' Meetings

Adopted: 11.18.2019

Reviewed 02.21.2022