Kennewick board members say their job is oversight and policy-setting; superintendent and cabinet handle operations

Summary

At a district workshop, Kennewick School District board members described the board as a five-member elected body focused on oversight, policy-setting, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, adopting policy and monitoring district goals; they explained meeting procedures, limits on private deliberations and how community members can engage.

Kennewick School District board members told attendees at a district “Get to Know KSD” workshop that their role is principally oversight and policy-setting, not day-to-day operations. "I can almost sum it up in one word. It's just oversight. We are not a legislative body," a board member said during the panel.

The remarks came at a public workshop attended by the five elected board members and members of the public. The board described its responsibilities as setting district vision and strategic goals with the superintendent, adopting and revising district policies, approving the budget and monitoring progress toward student-learning objectives laid out in the Washington State School Directors Association governance framework.

Why this matters: the distinction clarifies what the public should expect from elected directors and what tasks belong to the superintendent and her cabinet. Board members repeatedly emphasized that the superintendent is the board’s single employee and is responsible for…

Kennewick board members say their job is oversight and policy-setting; superintendent and cabinet handle operations

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading