Newtown-Harris R-III

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P 0340 Code of Ethics

The purpose of the Board of Education is:

  1. To govern and control the affairs of the District as provided by law.
  2. To discover and interpret the educational needs, attitudes and interests throughout the District as a guide to developing and setting priorities for an educational program.
  3. To exercise judgment in reviewing, considering and voting on district wide policies affecting the operation of the schools.
  4. To oversee the management and fiscal control of the schools as provided by law and to review, evaluate and judge the effectiveness of the educational program.

The roles of members of the Board of Education are:

  1. To recognize that it is the responsibility of the Board to see that the schools are properly administered, not to administer them.
  2. To hold the Superintendent responsible for the implementation of Board policies and the administration of the District.
  3. To give the Superintendent authority commensurate with his/her responsibility.
  4. To vote on Board matters only after considering the recommendation of the Superintendent and any interested citizens.
  5. To maintain a working rapport with other members of the Board and the Superintendent.
  6. To respect and encourage the right of others to hold and express opinions.
  7. To support the Board once a legal decision has been made by a majority vote.
  8. To avoid inappropriate or disparaging remarks, in or out of Board meetings, about other Board members or their opinions.
  9. To realize that the responsibilities are district-wide.
  10. To recognize that authority rests with the School Board in legal session and no individual Board member has legal authority to request action from the staff.
  11. To avoid any comments which may be interpreted as undermining the administration of the District.
  12. To assure that special committees, when appointed, have a well defined objective and that there is understanding that the committee serves in an advisory capacity.

In addition, members of the Board of Education will:

  1. Work through the Superintendent and his/her staff.
  2. Support the Superintendent's efforts to appoint the most qualified persons as employees of the District.
  3. Reinforce the efforts of the Superintendent and the staff so that they may perform their assigned responsibilities in the most effective manner.
  4. Provide the Superintendent counsel as requested or required.
  5. Make every effort to keep all citizens informed about the quality and condition of public school education in the District.
  6. Initiate and implement all efforts to secure adequate financial support for the District.
  7. Assure that all transactions of the District are ethical, open and aboveboard.

Last Updated: January 2003