1010 - Board Authority and Duties

The board of education is a body corporate and has general control and supervision of all matters pertaining to the public schools of the school district and the authority to enforce the school law. All powers and duties conferred and imposed by law respecting public schools, which are not expressly conferred and imposed upon some other official, are conferred and imposed by law upon the board.

The board will provide a system of schools and establish general policies in keeping with the needs of the community and the requirements of state law and perform all specific duties imposed by law. The board considers some of its most significant duties to be the following:

  1. providing every student with the opportunity to receive a sound basic education as defined by the North Carolina Supreme Court in Leandro v. State;
  2. providing leadership and direction through the formulation of goals and objectives, especially in defining and setting high academic standards for student success;
  3. creating policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school district;
  4. taking steps necessary to help ensure legal compliance of board and school district functions;
  5. performing judicial functions by conducting hearings as appropriate or required by law regarding decisions of school district personnel or the board;
  6. hiring a superintendent, supporting the superintendent in his or her administration, and evaluating and responding to recommendations made by the superintendent, including recommendations pertaining to the educational program and facility needs;
  7. considering the budget recommended by the superintendent, presenting the budget to the county commissioners and adopting a budget after evaluating whether the county commissioners' appropriation is sufficient to support a system of free public schools; and
  8. being an advocate for the school district, staff and especially for students, in all interactions with other governmental entities and the public.

Legal References: G.S. 115C-36, -40, -44, -47; Leandro v. State, 346 N.C. 336 (1997)

Cross References:

Adopted: 2002-01-07 Revised: 2012-03-13; 2016-04-12