About School Directors
School board directors in Pennsylvania are elected public officials who do not receive any compensation for their services.
In every school district, nine school directors are elected to serve for a four-year term. The elected school directors along with the superintendent form the "Team of Ten", who collectively provide leadership. According to the law, the superintendent is the tenth member of the board and has the privilege to speak on all matters discussed in the meetings, but cannot vote. The team's various roles and responsibilities enable them to work effectively towards the goal of providing all students in the district with a top-notch education.
If a vacancy arises due to unforeseen circumstances, the remaining school board directors conduct an appointment process to fill the position, which results in a shorter term for the appointed individual.
Every year, school boards are legally obligated to evaluate the superintendent's performance. This evaluation process presents a valuable opportunity for effective communication. The board meets collectively to assess the superintendent's performance, discussing what feedback should be conveyed about their work during the past year. The evaluation includes Objective Performance Standards that the board and the superintendent have agreed upon, which are publicly available on each school district's website. These standards focus on areas of improvement needed within the district and ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the district's direction.
The responsibility of the school board is to ensure that the district is being efficiently run, rather than running it themselves. The superintendent is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the school district. The board's authority comes into play as a final resort for addressing concerns, only after the teacher or coach, principal, and superintendent have all had an opportunity to resolve the issue.