The board of education's role in a public school system is to establish policy, set goals, and evaluate the school system's mission. According to the National School Boards Association, school board policies are statements that set forth the purposes and prescribe, in general terms, the organization and program of the school system. They create a framework within which the superintendent and the staff can discharge their duties with positive direction. They tell what is wanted. They may also indicate "why"and "how much."It is inaccurate to simply state, "It is the board's role to make policy and the administration's role to implement policy."The board not only should adopt policies, but also should exercise the appropriate degree of oversight as the administration implements the policies. Are the policies, as adopted, being implemented? Are the policies achieving the desired results?

State law provides that "[a]ll powers and duties conferred and imposed by law respecting public schools, which are not expressly conferred and imposed upon some other official, are conferred and imposed upon [the board]."School boards have "general control and supervision of all matters pertaining to the public schools in their respective administrative units and they shall enforce the school law in their respective units."G.S. 115C-36. Further, state law provides that "[l]ocal boards of education, upon recommendation of the superintendent, shall have full power to make all just and needful rules and regulations governing the conduct of teachers, principals, and supervisors, the kind of reports they shall make, and their duties in the care of school property."G.S. 115C-47(18).

As with all actions taken by the local board of education, personnel policies adopted by the board must uphold the United States and North Carolina Constitutions, and comply with applicable federal law and regulations, North Carolina law, regulations and policies adopted by the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction, and federal and state case law that interprets the various statutes and regulations.

Source: NC School Boards Association