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School Board for the Informationally Challenged

Just who runs the schools you send your children off to school every morning? For those parents who want to be involved in decisions about their children's education, it pays to be informed. It can be a difficult task sometimes. We got your back. In our continuing series about local government (see here and here ), we give you the facts about School Board. Here is what you need to know before the election.

What exactly is the School Board?

The School Board is the governing body for Richmond City Public Schools. It is vested with all the powers and is charged with all the duties, obligations, and responsibilities imposed upon school boards by law.

How many people sit on the board?  

There are nine board members.

What does it do?  

The School Board is the policy-making body for the Richmond City Public Schools. The School Board has the following responsibilities:

Selects a division superintendent; Determines curriculums, the system of administration to be employed in the schools and the length of the school term; Provides safe and clean school buildings and for the maintenance thereof; Provides for the preparation and adoption of the annual budgets; Considers and acts upon the recommendations of the division superintendent in all matters of policy, appointment or dismissal of employees, salary schedules, or other personnel regulations, and all other matters pertaining to the welfare of schools Receives reports by the division superintendent concerning the condition, efficiency, and needs of the schools; Appraises the effectiveness with which the schools achieve the educational purposes of the board; Informs the public about the progress and needs of the schools; Provides for transportation of students; Adopts bylaws and regulations consistent with state statutes and regulations of the Board of Education.

Where do they meet? Are they public meetings?  

They meet in the School Board Room at 301 N. Ninth Street on the 17th floor of City Hall.  The meetings are public.

What are they paid?

School Board members are paid $10,000 annually, the Chairman receives and additional $1,000.

How do they get their positions?

They are elected by the citizens in the districts in which they live.

Is there a school Board president? What do his/her duties entail?

There is a Board Chairman. The Chairman presides at all meetings of the School Board, appoints committees, prepares School Board meeting agendas with the assistance of the division superintendent, signs all legal documents approved by the School Board and performs such other duties as may be prescribed by law or by action of the School Board.

What qualifications do you need to be on School Board?

They have to be residents of the district in which they wish to represent and submit all required documentation to the City Registrar.

To whom do they report?  

Individual board members report to the citizens of their district.  The board as a whole reports to the citizens of the City of Richmond.

What are their responsibilities, which school districts do they serve?  

Individual board members have no organization or duties except those assigned to them by the School Board as a whole. Their responsibilities on the district level would be to keep their constituents informed on district and School Board activities.  

How long do they serve?  

The current term for the Richmond City School Board is two years.  Effective January 2009, the term will be a four year term.

How can I contact my school board member?  

The School Board homepage where contact information for Board members may be found. You may also contact your School Board member by calling the School Board Office at 780-7716 and leaving a message.

From where do candidates for School Board receive their campaign funds?

Each candidate has to file this information with the City Registrar.

Does the School Board make decisions about curriculum?

The responsibility for the selection of instructional materialsis delegated to professional personnel employed by the Board. This includes administrators, supervisors, library and media specialists, teachers, students and members of the community at large. The responsibility for coordinating the selection process and final approval of material rests with professional school personnel.

Who decides school zones?

The School Board has, in the past, assigned a Task Force to review the information. The Task Force would then bring back recommendations to the board for approval.