BYLAW 9221
BOARD ADMINISTRATION RELATIONSHIPS
The School Board is responsible to the electorate and is required to provide a quality educational program as economically, effectively and efficiently as possible. The School Board shall:
- Assist the Superintendent with counsel and advice, giving them the benefit of its judgement, business experience and familiarity with the local communities; and shall also consult with the Superintendent on all matters concerning the school system which the Board is considering or about which it proposes to take action.
- Delegate to the Superintendent responsibility for all executive functions, refrain from handling directly any administrative details, and give the Superintendent authority commensurate with their responsibilities.
- Refer all complaints to the appropriate administrator.
- Make all employees of the school system responsible to the Superintendent through refraining from direct dealings with individuals to influence their decisions, except where through the Board’s Committee system specific responsibilities have been delegated by the Superintendent to other senior personnel, and excepting also those matters clearly designated by the School Act to be the responsibility of the Secretary-Treasurer.
- Provide adequate safeguards for the Superintendent and other personnel so that they may perform their proper functions on a professional basis. This involves, particularly, supporting the Superintendent in their efforts to protect the personnel from individuals and organizations seeking to exploit the school system for self-interested reasons.
- Accept full responsibility for administrative acts authorized by or resulting from the policies of the Board.
- Hold the Superintendent strictly responsible for the administration of schools, requiring them to keep the Board fully informed at all times through both written and oral reports; and shall review and appraise the results of their work, informing them when any methods or procedures do not meet with approval of the Board.
- Notwithstanding the above, Trustees shall be encouraged to feel welcome in the schools for the purpose of acquainting themselves with the aspirations, achievements, and problems of the schools’ staffs, but they should ensure at all times that school personnel are aware of the purpose of the visit. Personnel expressing concerns or requesting action should be referred to formal channels of communication.
- Encourage members of the Administration to take the initiative to participate in Board meetings and to provide information and opinions which would assist the Board in clarifying an issue.
The argument used by Trustees to support their point of view during debates should be based on information and opinion related to the issues. During debates, Trustees should solicit information and advice from Administrators and seek clarification of administrative action on an issue, yet refrain from public criticism of Administrators.
If a disagreement arises between a Trustee and an Administrator, a private meeting between the two should be arranged to resolve the disagreement.
The Superintendent shall ensure that routine information gathered for administrative purposes shall be made readily available to Trustees on a routine basis or upon request, without the necessity of special reports.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall comply with all requirements of that office as established under the School Act and shall make recommendations to the Board regarding any financial or other appropriate matters requiring action. They shall ensure that the Board is kept promptly advised of all relevant financial and other matters that they consider pertinent to their function under the Act.
Greater Victoria School District
- Adopted: October 22, 1984
- Revised: May 22, 2012
- Revised: December 14, 2022