Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the responsibilities of the Board of Education?
A: The Board of Education is responsible for the following:
- Hiring the Superintendent, who is responsible for managing district staff and operations.
- Setting the District’s Direction by drawing upon the community for input, setting goals for student achievement, assessing and accounting for progress within the district, and working to continually improve the district through alignment of established goals, standards, and strategy.
- Compliance of Standards by reviewing New York State laws and regulations and setting District policy. Setting District policy
- Overseeing District Finances by monitoring and auditing District finances including the adoption of the annual budget
Q: How are the roles of the Board of Education and Superintendent separated?
A: The separation of boards and superintendents is very well defined and is a relationship grounded in trust and respect. The board works with the superintendent to create a district vision, set goals, and establish a framework of desired outcomes. The board reviews, modifies, and approves all district policies. The board adopts a budget, puts it to voters for approval, and sets school tax rates within legal limits. The board has a clear chain of communication (board president and superintendent) that helps to avoid confusion and misinformation. The board should ask questions directly to the superintendent who will gather information and provide a response.
Q: What are the responsibilities of the Superintendent?
A: The superintendent implements the school board’s vision by making day-to-day decisions about educational programs, spending, staff, and facilities. The superintendent ensures policies are implemented and practiced district wide. The superintendent hires, supervises, and manages the central staff and principals.
Q: Are there Board Meeting Notes that the community can view?
A: Yes, unofficial meeting minutes can be found on the website by the Monday following the meeting. After approval by the Board, minutes are posted to our website or may be found in the Wayne County Times, official newspaper of GCSD, if they choose to publish.
Q: Can I make a public comment at the Board Meeting?
A: Yes, input from our community is important to help shape our youth. We welcome comments from the public, however, we do have specific rules to follow for public commentary to ensure we can also meet the business needs for the schools. You can find the rules on the Public Commentary at Board Meetings page of our website.
Q: What is the difference between a Board Work Session and a Board Business Meeting?
A: Board Work Sessions provide an opportunity for the Board of Education and Administrators to process issues, feedback, and data and information. The purpose of this processing opportunity is to strengthen decision making and engage in continuous improvement. At the beginning of each board work session meeting, a portion of time is given for members of the community to speak or to ask questions related to district policy. It is expected that you will have spoken with the person or persons most closely connected to your question or concern (teacher, building principal, Superintendent) prior to bringing the issue to the Board of Education. Board Business Meetings on the other hand are meant for actual decision making and implementation processing. This is when our board members vote on policy to move the district forward.Q: What is an executive session?
A: Executive Sessions are sometimes called during a board meeting and are portions of the meeting that are closed to the public. No formal action may be taken in executive session, and executive session can only be used to discuss specific personnel matters, collective bargaining issues, legal matters, and law enforcement issues, to name a few.
Q: What qualifications do I need to run for school board?
A: Candidates must meet all the following eligibility requirements:
- Be able to read and write;
- Be a citizen of the United States;
- Be 18 years of age or older;
- Be a resident of the school district for at least the past year on election day (moving within the district is allowable);
- Not be a district employee (may be employee of BOCES or teacher/staff in another district);
- Not be a convicted felon (unless you have a certificate of relief);
- Not be in the family of a currently seated board member (spouse, relative in same home).