Duties of the Board

Establishment of Mission, Goals and Policy:   The primary function of the Board of Education is the establishment of district policies. The District’s Strategic Plan is a comprehensive document used to guide and reinforce the mission and goals of the Westside Community Schools. It is regularly reviewed, evaluated, updated and approved by the Board.

Community Leadership in Issues of Education:  As public officials, individuals who serve are active and visible members of the community. However, the Board acts officially only as a group. Nearly all of the action taken by the Board is accomplished by a majority vote of the quorum present. The meetings are open to the public, so you may observe your School Board in action.

Selection of the Superintendent:  Selection of the Superintendent is perhaps the most important task of the Board. The Superintendent, in turn, is responsible for making recommendations to the Board on all aspects of the educational program, including staffing, curriculum, facilities, and acquisition of instructional materials and equipment.

Assuring Fiscal Responsibility:  Approval of a sound budget, with the goal of balancing educational needs with financial reality, is a major function of the Board. One of the Board’s top priorities is to maintain reasonable property taxes without sacrificing our outstanding educational programs. Offering the best possible education to all students is our first concern.

Evaluation of the Educational Program:  The Board continually evaluates the District’s educational programs and hears presentations on various aspects of the curriculum at their regularly scheduled board meetings.

BOARD ELECTIONS

The Board of Education of the District consists of six members, each holding a term of six years, with the terms of two members of the Board of Education expiring every two years. No person shall be nominated or elected at the Caucus, be elected at the statewide primary, or serve as a member of the Board of Education of the District, unless he or she is, and remains at all times, a legal voter residing in the Westside Community Schools school district.  

A Caucus shall be held to nominate candidates for each vacancy on the Board of Education to be voted on at the time of the statewide primary election. The rules and regulations will be adopted by the Board of Education for conducting each caucus. The Caucus shall be held not less than seventy (70) days prior to the statewide primary election. No candidate nominated at the Caucus shall have his or her name placed on the ballot at the statewide primary unless, not more than ten (10) days after his or her nomination at the Caucus, he or she files with the Secretary of the Board of Education a written statement accepting the nomination. 

The Secretary of the Board of Education shall certify the names of the candidates nominated at the Caucus to the Douglas County Election Commissioner who shall prepare the official ballot for the statewide primary listing the names as certified and without any area designation ("at-large"). At the statewide primary election, two of the candidates shall be elected for terms of six years. All legal voters residing within the District shall be permitted to vote at the Caucus and at the statewide primary.

The District shall develop rules and procedures for conducting the Caucus which will insure:

• Publication of the rules and procedures, by multiple sources if necessary, so that every resident of the district has access to information on the process for placing a name in nomination and voting at the Caucus;
• Facilities for voting at the Caucus which comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and which will accommodate a reasonably anticipated number of legal voters;
• Election security which will provide for a fair and impartial election, including secrecy of the ballot, one vote per legal voter, and only legal voters of the District being allowed to vote;
• Equal access to all legal voters of the school district, including the presence of an interpreter at the Caucus at the expense of the school district and ballots for the visually impaired to provide access to the process by all legal voters of the school district;
• Adequate time and opportunity for legal voters of the school district to exercise their right to vote; and
• Notification of nomination to the candidates and to the secretary of the school board. 

Approval of Rules and Regulations:  The Caucus Rules and Regulations shall be approved by the Election Commissioner or the County Clerk prior to use for a Caucus.

Term of Office on the Board of Education:  The term of office shall begin as of June 1 following the board member's election at the statewide primary, and, unless earlier ended, runs through May 31 six years thereafter.  

Written Agreement to Adhere to Ethical Requirements:  At or prior to the board member's first regularly scheduled meeting, the newly elected board member shall, in writing, agree to adhere at all times during service on the Board to the requirements contained in Board Policies 1110 (Code of Ethics) and 1115 (Conflicts of Interest).