What Are School Board Goals?

A school board is a public-elected body entrusted with one of the most significant responsibilities of making policies for public schools, including the elementary, middle and high school levels. It is the school board that gives a vision and direction to schools in a community. The school board establishes and organizes an efficient school system that allows smooth functioning of all levels of school officials, from administrators to teachers. The board is also the decision maker when it comes to managing district finances and hiring school resources, and it serves as a judicial authority for conflict resolution. A school board's goals should always be in the interest of all of its stakeholders.

Student Excellence

Student achievement is the top priority of the school board, and its goals should reflect that. To achieve these goals, the board should commit to fostering an educational system that accommodates diverse needs of students and promote an atmosphere where all students are provided with equal opportunities to succeed. The board should continuously seek ways to allocate all resources necessary to help every student achieve to his full potential.

Student and Employee Wellness

Health of personnel and students is a high priority for the school board. Including physical education in school curriculum, encouraging employee participation in health screening programs and ensuring food products available in institutional campuses meet government food standards are some strategies school boards may use to ensure health and well-being goals are met. Ensuring prompt and timely access to mental health and behavioral management programs for students and employees also should be part of the board's wellness objectives.

Employee Excellence

Employee excellence is part of the board's primary objective of realizing Student Achievement. The board promotes employee excellence through focus on hiring diverse talents for faculty as well as administrative and other nonfaculty areas; building talents after hiring and recognizing and retaining top-performing talents are also key strategies to ensure employee excellence and accomplishing these goals. Training principals in screening processes so that only highly qualified instructors are recruited and increasing retention through mentoring and recognition programs are some strategies boards may adopt to achieve employee excellence.

Community Engagement

To promote effective functioning, it is important that the school board has a strong working partnership with the community and the important members therein, including parents, business organizations and other governmental bodies. Ongoing community outreach programs, such as parent-school board member interactions and meetings with legislators to discuss legislative issues affecting the school district, are some strategies that school boards may adopt to promote the community-engagement goals.

References

• GreatSchools: How to Choose a School Board Candidate -- What Every Voter Should Know
• Anchorage School District: Mission -- To Educate All Students for Success in Life
• Stevens Point Area Public School District: School Board Goals for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
• Eugene School District: 2010--11 Board Goals & Annual Agenda
• Broward County Public Schools: Strategic Plans Goals and Objectives