Dysart Unified School District No. 89






	DISTRICT GOVERNANCE The Dysart Unified School District is governed by a five-member Governing Board. This board operates under the direction of Arizona Law and district policies, and oversees the overall operations of the district. Below are some key provisions of district governance; for more information, be sure to consult the electronic policy manual. School Board Operations and Goals Board Powers and Responsibilities Board Member Authority and Responsibilities Board Member Qualifications Board Member Ethics Board-Superintendent Relationship School Board Meetings Executive Sessions/Open Meetings Public Participation at Board Meetings Governing Board Policies School Board Operations & Goals The Governing Board is responsible to the people of the District and, therefore, should be aware of opinions and attitudes in the community and of identified District needs. As representatives of the people who own and support the schools, the Board accepts the responsibility to identify community attitudes and opinions and District needs and to require short- and long-range strategies that are responsive within the budgetary limitations of the District. Back to Top Board Powers & Responsibilities The Board shall act as the general agent of the state of Arizona in carrying out the will of the people of this District in the matter of public education. The Board is authorized under the laws of the state of Arizona to adopt all needed policies and regulations for the organization, evaluation, and governance in the District. The Board performs the following basic functions necessary to the discharging of its responsibilities: legislative, executive, and appraisal. The legislative function is the policy-making aspect of the school system. It is the policy of the Board to retain and exercise full legislative authority and control over the schools by adopting general policies or by acting directly in matters not covered by its policies. The executive function of the Board is concerned with placing in operation existing Board policy. Most of this function is delegated by the Board to its executive and administrative officer, the Superintendent. The appraisal function involves the determination of the efficiency of the school operation and an evaluation of the educational program of the District based on the policies as outlined in the policy manual. The duties and obligations of an individual Board member include the following: To become familiar with the state's school laws, regulations of the State Department of Education, and District policies, rules, and regulations. To have a general knowledge of the educational aims and objectives of the system. To work harmoniously with other Board members without neglecting a proper share of the work or trying to dominate the Board. To vote and act in Board meetings impartially for the good of the District. To accept the will of the majority vote in all cases, and give wholehearted support to the resulting policy. To accept the responsibility for confidentiality in appropriate matters, especially those dealing with personnel and the divulging of privileged information that could cost the District money, support, or public confidence. To represent the Board and the District to the public in a manner that promotes both interest and support. To refer complaints to the proper school authorities and to refrain from individual counsel and action. To perform other appropriate duties that may arise. Back to Top Board Member Authority & Responsibilities All powers of the Board lie in its action as a public body. A "meeting" is defined as the gathering, in person or through technological devices, of a quorum of members of a public body to discuss, propose or take legal action, including any deliberations with respect to such action that has been properly noticed, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes. Individual Board members exercise authority over District affairs only by way of votes taken at a legal meeting of the Board. An individual Board member has authority only when and to the extent that the Board, by vote, has so delegated such authority. Back to Top Board Member Qualifications A person who is a registered voter of this state and has been a resident of the District for one year immediately preceding the day of election is eligible for election to the office of Governing Board member. No employee of the District or the spouse of such employee may hold membership on the Governing Board of this District. A Governing Board member is ineligible to serve simultaneously as a member of any other Governing Board, except that a Governing Board member may be a candidate for nomination or election for any other Governing Board if serving in the last year of a term of office. Back to Top Board Member Ethics Board members will strive to improve public education, and to that end will: Attend all Board meetings insofar as possible, and become informed concerning the issues to be considered at those meetings; Recognize that decisions should be made only after discussion at publicly held Board meetings; Render all decisions based on the available facts and independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special-interest groups; Encourage the free expression of opinion by all Board members, and seek systematic communications between the Board and students, staff, and all elements of the community; Work with other Board members to establish effective Board policies and to delegate authority for the administration of the schools to the Superintendent; Communicate to other Board members and the Superintendent expressions of public reaction to Board policies and school programs; Be informed about current educational issues by individual study and through participation in programs providing needed information, such as those sponsored by state and national school boards associations; Support the employment of persons best qualified to serve as school staff members, and insist on a regular and impartial evaluation of all personnel; Avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and refrain from using their Board position for personal or partisan gain; Take no private action that will compromise the Board or administration, and respect the confidentiality of information that is privileged under applicable law; and Remember always that a Board member's first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of the students attending the public schools. Back to Top Board-Superintendent Relationship The establishment of policies is the responsibility of the Board, and the execution of those policies is a function of the Superintendent. The Superintendent is the chief executive officer of the School District and is responsible for the professional leadership and skill necessary to translate the policies of the Board into administrative action. The Superintendent is responsible for the administration of the District. The Superintendent may delegate the necessary authority to other employees and develop such procedures and regulations as the Superintendent considers necessary to ensure efficient operation of the District. Back to Top School Board Meetings The Board shall transact all business at official meetings of the Board. These may be either regular or special meetings, defined as follows: Regular meeting - the usual official legal-action meeting, scheduled and held regularly. Special meeting - an official legal-action meeting called between scheduled regular meetings to consider only specifically identified topics. Every meeting of the Board, regular or special, shall be open to the public except for an executive session that is held in accordance with state law. A "meeting" is defined as the gathering, in person or through technological devices, of a quorum of members of a public body to discuss, propose or take legal action, including any deliberations with respect to such action, that has been properly noticed, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes. Back to Top Executive Sessions/Open Meetings The Board may enter into executive session after the following requirements have been met: The Board has first been convened in open meeting, for which notice, stating the specific provision of law authorizing the executive session, has been given. The Board President has identified the section or sections of A.R.S. 38-431.03 that authorize the holding of the executive session and has stated the language of the section(s) and a general description of the matters to be considered. The executive session is authorized by a vote in open session. No final action, decision, or vote shall be taken while the Board is in executive session, except as provided by law. The Board shall reconvene the open meeting after an executive session prior to adjourning the meeting. During the executive session, all persons present in the executive session will be read the admonition on the confidentiality of the executive session minutes and deliberations. Back to Top Public Participation at Board Meetings All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. The Board invites the viewpoints of citizens throughout the District, and considers the responsible presentation of these viewpoints vital to the efficient operation of the District. The Board also recognizes its responsibility for the proper governance of the schools and therefore the need to conduct its business in an orderly and efficient manner. The Board therefore establishes the following procedures to receive input from citizens of the District: Any individual desiring to address the Board shall complete a form (Request to Address Board) and give this form to the Superintendent prior to the start of the Board meeting. The Board President shall be responsible for recognizing speakers, maintaining proper order, and adhering to any time limit set. Questions of fact asked by the public shall, when appropriate, be answered by the President or referred to the Superintendent for reply. Questions requiring investigation shall be referred to the Superintendent for later report to the Board. Questions or comments on matters that are currently under legal review will not receive a response. If considered necessary, the President shall set a time limit on the length of the comment period. In order to ensure that each individual has an opportunity to address the Board, the President may also set a time limit for individual speakers. Members of the public may be recognized by the President to assist the Board with information for the conduct of its official business. Personal attacks upon Board members, staff personnel, or other persons in attendance or absent by individuals who address the Board are discouraged. Presenters are cautioned that statements or representations concerning others that convey an unjustly unfavorable impression may subject the presenter to civil action for defamation. Policies KE, KEB, KEC, and KED are provided by the Board for disposition of legitimate complaints, including those involving individuals. Upon conclusion of the open call to the public, individual members of the Board may respond to any criticism made by an individual who has addressed the Board. Back to Top