Series 9000: Bylaws of the Board

9040 Duties of the Board

State statute charges the Board of Education to "maintain good elementary and secondary schools" and to "give all the children of the town as nearly equal advantages as practical." In carrying out this duty, the Board is directed to serve the interests of the State as well as those of  the Town. 

To assist in determining the interests of the Town, the Board will be receptive to community opinion on local educational matters. However, the Board cannot delegate to local individuals or groups its authority for establishing educational policy and its control of the schools. 

The Board of Education will base its actions on the welfare of the students. In so doing, it will  endeavor to secure maximum educational benefit for every dollar spent. 

The following guidelines will govern the activities of the Board: 

1. Board members will never use their position on the Board for personal gain. 

2. Board members must understand that their primary responsibility is to establish policy. 

3. The local school district has been created as a unit of the state government. This means that a local Board is responsible both to the local community and to state  government. The Board of Education member is a state official functioning at a local  level. 

4. All Board members will abide by the principle of majority rule. 

5. Board members should make no promise of commitments on school questions unless they are fully discussed and acted upon in the Board meeting. 

6. The individual Board member has no authority when the Board is not in session unless authorized by the Board. 

7. The local Board of Education should function independently of other local government bodies, except as provided by state law and town charter. 

8. Board members will recognize that authority rests only with the whole board assembled in meeting, and will make no personal promises nor take any private  action which may compromise Board.

9. Board members will acknowledge that the Board represents the entire school  community, and a member will refuse to surrender his of her independent judgment  to special interest of partisan political groups. 

10. Board members will respect the confidentiality of executive session. 

11. Board members will arrive at conclusions only after discussing all aspects of the issue at hand with other board members in meeting. Opinions of Board members  with differing points of view will be respected. 

12. No individual member of the Board, by virtue of holding office, shall exercise any administrative responsibility with respect to the schools, nor as an individual  command the services of any school employee. 

Legal Reference:

Connecticut General Statutes 

10-220 Duties of Boards of Education 

10-232 Restrictions on employment of members of the Board of Education. 

Bylaw adopted by the Board: December 8, 2014 THOMASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Thomaston,