INSIDE INFORMATION
2022 EDUCATION EDITION
HOW A LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD
GETTING INVOLVED
II. ADOPT POLICIES AND REVIEW FOR EFFECTIVENESS
STATE BOARD DUTIES The Texas Open Meetings Act requires government entities to conduct public business responsibly, transparently and in compliance with the law. ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING Residents can attend school board meetings except when policy permits trustees to meet in closed session. SPEAK BEFORE THE BOARD Most school boards dedicate time in their public meeting agendas to hear input from community members. REQUEST PUBLIC RECORDS SOURCES: TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER Citizens have access to information about government activity through the Texas Public Information Act. The State Board of Education includes 15 individuals elected to four-year terms. This board sets policies and standards for public schools statewide. THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: • establishes curriculum standards; • reviews and adopts instructional materials; • determines graduation requirements; • oversees the Texas Permanent School Fund; and • reviews and potentially vetoes the commissioner’s proposed award of new charter schools.
Trustees adopt local policies that guide district operations, such as citizen participation at public meetings and the board’s evaluation of the superintendent. State and federal law also regulate policies, such as campaign ethics and when closed meetings can take place.
FUNCTIONS
DESIGNED BY TAYLOR WHITE
COMPILED BY DANICA LLOYD
III. HIRE AND EVALUATE THE SUPERINTENDENT
Public school board members in Texas are unpaid volunteers elected to their positions by voters living in the communities they serve. School boards provide local governance of their school districts and can only take action by a majority vote at public meetings. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES School boards oversee management, policymaking, planning and evaluation while the superintendent implements these matters and manages the district’s day-to-day operations, according to the Texas Association of School Boards.
School boards are responsible for hiring and evaluating the superintendent, who manages the district’s day-to-day operations and advises the board on governance decisions. The superintendent also ensures the board’s policies are implemented appropriately.
IV. ADOPT A BUDGET AND SET A TAX RATE
The board adopts the district’s budget and tax rate each year. Trustees ensure the administration’s budget proposal aligns with their goals and priorities, amend the budget throughout the year as needed and approve an annual nancial report by an independent auditor.
SOURCE: TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
I. ADOPT GOALS AND MONITOR SUCCESS
V. COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY
One of the functions of a local school board is to develop goals and priorities for the district. Administration regularly presents reports on district
According to the TASB, school boards serve as the link between the district and the community. Trustees inform residents, students, sta , parents and the media about district plans, actions and accomplishments.
operations and progress toward those goals. State data can also help trustees compare performance to other districts.
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
MEET THE BOARDS Each of the nine board members in Dallas ISD and seven board members in Richardson ISD are elected to 3-year terms. Texas law does not dictate term limits for local school board members. Information about the board’s meetings can be found online at www.dallasisd.org and www.risd.org. SOURCES: DALLAS ISD, RICHARDSON ISD, TEXAS ELECTION CODE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
The board meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month at 5151 Samuell Blvd., Dallas. Meetings are also streamed live at www.dallasisd.org. DALLAS ISD
The board meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month at 400 S. Greenville Ave., Richardson. Meetings are also streamed live at www.risd.org. RICHARDSON ISD
Dallas ISD
Joyce Foreman District 6 Elected 2014 joyceforeman@ dallasisd.org Dustin Marshall District 2 Elected 2016 dustinmarshall@ dallasisd.org
Edwin Flores District 1 Elected 2015 edwin ores@dallasisd.org
Justin Henry Board president, District 9 Elected 2018 justinhenry@dallasisd.org
Joe Carreon District 8 Elected 2020 joecarreon@dallasisd.org Ben Mackey District 7 Elected 2019 benmackey@dallasisd.org Dan Micchie District 3 Elected 2012 danmicciche@dallasisd.org
Camile D. White District 4 Elected 2022 camilewhite@ dallasisd.org
Maxie Johnson District 5 Elected 2019 maxiejohnson@ dallasisd.org
Richardson ISD
Regina Harris Board president, District 4 Elected 2019 regina.harris@risd.org
Megan Timme District 1 Elected 2021 megan.timme@risd.org
Vanessa Pacheco District 2 Elected 2021 vanessa.pacheco@risd.org
Eric Eager At large Elected 2020 eric.eager@risd.org
Chris Poteet At large Elected 2021 chris.poteet@risd.org
Rachel McGowan District 5 Elected 2022 rachel.mcgowan@risd.org
Debbie Renteria District 3 Elected 2020 debbie.renteria@risd.org
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LAKE HIGHLANDS LAKEWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2022
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