Chippewa Valley Schools
Bylaws & Policies
 

0140 - MEMBERSHIP

0141

Number of Members and Terms of Office
 
 

The Board of Education shall consist of seven (7) members, their terms of office shall be six (6) years in length. Members shall be duly qualified according to Michigan School Laws.
 
 

M.C.L.A. 380.11a(8)
 
 

Revised 1/9/06
   

0142

Election of Board Members

 
 

The Board of Education shall consist of seven (7) members elected at annual school elections by the qualified voters of the school District. The regular school election shall be held on the odd year May regular election date.
 
 

M.C.L.A. 380.11a(8), 168.642(a)
   
 

Revised 1/9/06
   

0142.2

Acceptance and Oath of Office
 
 

The Board secretary shall notify each member elected of his/her election within five (5) days after the election. Prior to assuming membership on the Board and within ten (10) days of notification of election, each newly elected Board member shall file an acceptance of office, accompanied by an affidavit of eligibility, and shall take the oath of office. Notaries public, judges, clerks of courts, and members of the legislature may administer the oath of office. Upon the request of the newly elected Board member, the oath may be readministered, for ceremonial purposes, by the Board president or other officer.
 
 

M.C.L.A. 380.1101(1)
 

0142.5

Vacancies
 
 

Board member vacancies shall be filled within thirty (30) days from the effective date of resignation or other event (except a vacancy occurring by a recall election) which causes a vacancy to exist. The vacancy shall be filled with a legally qualified person who is appointed by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board at a regular or special meeting of the Board. Persons appointed to fill a vacancy shall file acceptance of the office, including an affidavit of eligibility, with the secretary of the Board, and shall take the oath of office prescribed by law. The appointee shall hold office until the next annual school election. Resignations are effective without acceptance or approval of the Board.
 
 

When a vacancy of the Board occurs, the following procedures shall be used by the Board in filling the vacancy:
     
 

A.

the Board president, through public announcements in the news media, shall make known the vacancy has occurred and those persons interested in being considered for appointment should notify the secretary of the Board by the deadline established by the Board;
 
 

B.

the Board shall establish the criteria to be applies to making the appointment;
 
 

C.

the full Board, or a committee appointed by the Board, shall review and screen applications to determine which candidate should be further considered for appointment. Screening by the full Board shall be done in public session;
 

D.

those candidates screened for further consideration shall be interviewed by the Board in public session; and
 
 

E.

the Board, by roll call vote of a majority of those elected and service, shall determine which candidate shall be appointed to fill the vacancy.
     
   

M.C.L.A. 168.310, 168.311
   
 

Revised 8/15/05
 

0143

Authority
 
 

Individual members of the Board do not possess the powers that reside in the Board of Education. The Board speaks through its minutes and not through its individual members. An act of the Board shall not be valid unless approved at an official meeting by at least a majority vote of the members elected to and serving on the Board. M.C.L.A. 380.1201
   
 

No member of the Board shall be denied documents or information to which s/he is legally entitled and which are required in the performance of his/her duties as a Board member.
 

0143.1

Public Expression of Board Members
 
 

The Board President functions as the official spokesperson for the Board.
 
 

From time-to-time, however, individual Board members make public statements on school matters:
 
 

A.

to local media;
 
 

B.

to local officials and/or State officials.
 
 

Sometimes the statements imply, or the readers (listeners) infer, that the opinions expressed or statements made are the official positions of the Board. The misunderstandings that can result from these incidents can embarrass both the member and the Board. Therefore, Board members should, when writing or speaking on school matters to the media, legislators, and other officials, make it clear that their views do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board or of their colleagues on the Board.
 
 

A.

This bylaw shall apply to all statements and/or writings by individual Board members not explicitly sanctioned by a majority of its members, except as follows:
 
 

1.

correspondence, such as legislative proposals, when the Board member has received official guidance from the Board on the matters discussed in the letter
 
 

2.

routine, not for publication, correspondence of the Superintendent and other Board employees
     
 

3.

routine "thank you" letters of the Board
 
 

4.

statements by Board members on nonschool matters (providing the statements do not identify the author as a member of the Board)
 
 

5.

personal statements not intended for publication
 
 

B.

Copies of this bylaw shall be sent annually to local media by the Board President.
   

0144

Operations
 

0144.1

Remuneration and Reimbursement
 
 

Board members shall receive compensation as permitted in the Revised School Code. The amount of compensation shall be $3000 per annum for all meetings as defined in Policy 8341 (Regular, Special and Organizational meetings). The defined annual compensation is based on Board Members attending a minimum of twenty-four (24) meetings., (Regular, Special, Organizational, and Sub-Committees) per year.
 
 

M.C.L.A. 380.11A, 380.1254
 
 

Authorization for compensation will be meeting minutes. Compensation will be distributed equally on a monthly basis. The last payment of compensation for the fiscal year will include a deduction of $30 per meeting for any Board Member not attending a total of twenty-four (24) meetings, as defined above, in the current fiscal year.
 
 

Members of the Board of Education shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of authorized Board functions.
 

0144.2

Board Member Ethics
 
 

As members of the Board of Education, Board members will strive to improve public education and to that end they will:
 
 

A.

attend all regularly scheduled Board meetings insofar as possible, and become informed concerning the issues to be considered at those meetings;
 
 

B.

recognize that they should endeavor to make policy decisions only after full discussion at publicly held Board meetings;
     
 

C.

render all decisions based on the available facts and independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups;
 

D.

encourage the free expression of opinion by all Board members, and seek systematic communications between the Board and students, staff, and all elements of the community;
     
 

E.

work with the other Board members to establish effective Board policies and to delegate authority for the administration of the District to the Superintendent;
 
 

F.

communicate to other Board members and the Superintendent expressions of public reaction to Board policies and school programs;
 
 

G.

inform themselves about current educational issues by individual study and through participation in programs providing needed information, such as those sponsored by the State and National School Boards Associations;
 
 

H.

support the employment of those persons best qualified to serve as school staff, and insist on a regular and impartial evaluation of all staff;
     
 

I.

avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and refrain from using their Board positions for personal partisan gain;
     
 

J.

take no private action that will compromise the Board or administration, and respect the confidentiality of information that is privileged under applicable law;
 
 

K.

remember always that their first and greatest concern must be for the educational welfare of the students attending the public schools.
 
 

Source: Board of Directors, National School Boards Association.
   

0144.3

Conflict of Interest
 
 

Board members shall perform their official duties in a manner free from conflict of interest. To this end:
 
 

A.

no Board member shall use his/her position as a Board member to benefit either himself/herself or any other individual or agency apart from the total interest of the School District;
 

B.

when a member of the Board determines that the possibility of a personal interest conflict exists, s/he should, prior to the matter being considered, disclose his/her interest (such disclosure shall become a matter of record in the minutes of the Board), and thereafter shall abstain from participation in both the discussion of the matter and the vote thereon.
 
 

M.C.L.A. 15.32(3)
 

0144.4

Indemnification
 
 

The Board may hold harmless, indemnify, pay, settle, or compromise a judgment against a Board member to the extent allowed under the law.
 
 

M.C.L.A. 691.1408