FOREWORD Contained Herein Are the Policy
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FOREWORD Contained herein are the policy statements formulated by the Board of Education of the Odessa- Montour Central School District. Policy is defined as a basic plan of action. It establishes limits within which freedom of judgment can be exercised. Policy is a governing principle of management. It is a statement that has an effect on the interests of those who come under its jurisdiction. A policy may originate from the constitution, from statute, from local determinations and/or from customary patterns of formal behavior. Policy should accomplish the following: a) State a position taken by the District; b) Grant the authority to act; c) Be sufficiently detailed to give adequate direction; d) Be achievable within the real environment of the school and community; e) Provide for impartial procedures. In addition to the adopted policies, the operation of the School District is governed by and subject to all applicable Laws, Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, Civil Service requirements, Board of Education Resolutions, School Administrative Regulations and Contracts of Agreement. If any part of this manual is made invalid by judicial decision or legislative or administrative enactment, all other parts shall remain in full effect unless and until they are amended or repealed by the Board of Education. The official record of the adoption, amendment, or repeal of the by-laws and policies of the Odessa-Montour Central School District shall be the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Education. PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT In preparing individuals to develop their fullest potential for living in the society of today and tomorrow, the Board of Education and the staff of the School District: I. Recognize their responsibility to help meet the physical, intellectual and emotional needs of children; particularly the needs to inquire, learn, think, and create; to establish aesthetic, moral and ethical values; and to relate satisfactorily to others in social situations involving family, work, government and recreation. II. Accept primary responsibility for providing the educational resources that will enable students to attain a mastery of the basic skills of learning, thinking and problem-solving; for teaching them to use the various media of self-expression; for instilling in them a knowledge of the social and natural sciences; for acquainting them with the richness of our heritage; and for stimulating them to productive work in the various areas of human endeavor. III. Acknowledge the importance of their supplemental role to the home and other social agencies in developing habits and attitudes which make for effective personal living, the maintenance of optimum physical and mental health, and the establishment of sound moral, ethical, and aesthetic values. Realizing that education, as here defined, is a lifelong process, the School System seeks to orient its graduates toward various types of post-secondary education and further formal training and study of many types; and to provide educational opportunities particularly suited to the needs of adults, both as individuals and as citizens in a democracy. BOARD OPERATIONAL GOALS The Board is committed to the education of all students to the best of their individual abilities; to a constant awareness of the concerns and desires of the whole community regarding the quality and performance of the school system, with the Board assuming an educational leadership role; to the employment of a Superintendent who will see that the Odessa-Montour Central School District maintains a position as an outstanding school system and under whose leadership the school personnel will carry out the policies of the Board with imagination and dedication; and that the school system will continue to serve as an institution for the benefit of the young people of the community. Additionally, the Board’s current specific policy and direction goals are: a) To interpret the educational needs and aspirations of the community through the formulation of policies which stimulate the learner and the learning process. b) To provide leadership in order that the goals and objectives of the school system (as set forth in the Board Policy Manual) can be effectively carried out. c) To maintain communication with the community served by the school system in order to interpret public attitudes, to identify policies and procedures of the school system, and to encourage public involvement with the understanding of the school system. d) To develop and provide the data appropriate for the management functions of planning, evaluating, organizing, controlling, and executing. 1999 1000 By-Laws Odessa-Montour Central School District BY-LAWS (Section 1000) NUMBER ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION 1.1 School District and Board of Education Legal Status ............................................ 1110 1.2 Board of Education Authority................................................................................. 1120 1.3 Number of Members and Terms of Office ............................................................. 1130 1.4 Students Serving as Ex Officio Members of the School Board .............................. 1140 NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS 2.1 Board of Education Members: Qualifications ....................................................... 1210 2.1.1 Principles for Board Members .................................................................... 1211 2.2 Board of Education Members: Nomination and Election ...................................... 1220 2.3 Reporting of Expenditures ...................................................................................... 1230 2.4 Resignation and Dismissal ...................................................................................... 1240 2.5 Legal Qualifications of Voters at School District Meetings ................................... 1250 2.6 Submission of Petitions to the Board ...................................................................... 1260 2.7 Absentee Ballot ....................................................................................................... 1270 THE ROLE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Board ............................................................................. 1310 3.2 Nomination and Election of Board Officers ........................................................... 1320 3.2.1 Duties of the President of the Board of Education ..................................... 1321 3.2.2 Duties of the Vice President of the Board of Education ............................. 1322 1999 1000 By-Laws BY-LAWS (Cont’d.) (Section 1000) NUMBER THE ROLE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Cont’d.) 3.3 Appointments and Designations by the Board of Education .................................. 1330 3.3.1 Duties of the District Clerk ......................................................................... 1331 3.3.2 Duties of the School District Treasurer ...................................................... 1332 3.3.3 Duties of the Tax Collector ......................................................................... 1333 3.3.4 Duties of the Independent Auditor.............................................................. 1334 3.3.5 Appointment and Duties of the Internal Claims Auditor ............................ 1335 3.3.6 Duties of the School Activities Treasurer(s)............................................... 1336 3.3.7 Duties of the School Attorney .................................................................... 1337 3.3.8 Duties of the School Physician ................................................................... 1338 BOARD POLICY 4.1 Policy ...................................................................................................................... 1410 4.2 Execution of Policy: Administrative Regulations ................................................. 1420 MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION 5.1 Regular Board Meetings ......................................................................................... 1510 5.1.1 Agenda Format ........................................................................................... 1511 5.2 Special Meetings of the Board of Education .......................................................... 1520 1999 1000 By-Laws BY-LAWS (Cont'd.) (Section 1000) NUMBER MEETINGS OF THE DISTRICT 6.1 Annual District Meeting and Election/Budget Vote ............................................... 1610 6.1.1 Business of the Annual District Election .................................................... 1611 6.2 Annual Organizational Meeting.............................................................................. 1620 RULES OF MEETINGS 7.1 Quorum ................................................................................................................... 1710 7.2 Minutes ................................................................................................................... 1720 7.3 Executive Sessions .................................................................................................. 1730 1999 1110 By-Laws SUBJECT: SCHOOL DISTRICT AND BOARD OF EDUCATION LEGAL STATUS The Constitution of New York State, as amended in 1894, instructs the Legislature to provide for a system of free common schools wherein all children of the State may be educated. The Legislature of the State has implemented this constitutional mandate through the creation of school districts of various types. The Odessa-Montour Central School District is