Understand Your School Board

School boards: Advocates for educational excellence

Every local school district is governed by a school board. These school board members (or trustees) are guardians of the public trust; they put the interests of their community's youth first. Through the policies they make, school board members are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education.

This is a difficult job; trustees face hard choices, self-sacrifice, and exposure to public criticism. However, it also brings a great deal of personal satisfaction in sharing with parents, staff, and students their academic successes. This crucial responsibility and the closeness of trustees to the voters make the local school board the purest example of democracy our society presents.

Who is responsible for public education in Texas?

The commissioner of education, the State Board of Education (SBOE), and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) guide and monitor public education in Texas. The SBOE provides leadership and state level administration as prescribed by law, and the commissioner and TEA staff implement state education policy. Texas has delegated much of the responsibility for education to the local school board. Although state and federal laws have continued to restrict local control, school districts still have significant authority in governing schools.

Why do we need local school boards?

The US Supreme Court has said education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Our system of local school districts and boards of education epitomizes representative and participatory government—citizens elected from their community making decisions about educational programs based on community needs, values, and expectations. School boards are entrusted by the public to translate the needs of students into policies, plans, and goals that will be supported by the community.

What do school boards do?

How do school boards make decisions?

Can citizens attend school board meetings?

Yes. School boards must meet in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and make public records available pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act. Citizens are welcome at all school board meetings, except in a few legally specified circumstances permitting closed meetings. Most school boards allow citizen participation and have policies communicating how and when citizens contribute their input. Generally, boards set aside a portion of the regular meeting for public comment and limit each speaker to three minutes. This is a chance for citizens to give input while allowing adequate time for other important board business.