NHSBA trains Laconia School Board on governance, superintendent evaluation and digital communications

The Laconia School Board convened a community meeting on Jan. 7, 2025, where the New Hampshire School Board Association (NHSBA) delivered a training on school board roles and responsibilities and reviewed statutory and practical limits on board members’ authority.

The training, led by Barrett Christina, executive director of the NHSBA, and Will Phillips, NHSBA staff attorney and director of policy services, emphasized three governance principles: the board’s duty to provide education under state law, collective (not individual) authority, and governance versus management. The meeting also included routine approvals: the board approved the meeting agenda and the Dec. 17, 2024 minutes, both by recorded voice vote, 6-0.

Why it matters: The session sought to align new and returning board members on legal requirements and best practices for setting policy, interacting with administration and the public, overseeing budgets and bargaining with employee groups. NHSBA presenters stressed that clear policies and regular superintendent evaluation help reduce ad hoc or inconsistent decision-making and protect due-process rights when the board acts in quasi-judicial matters.

Barrett Christina opened by explaining NHSBA’s role as a private, dues-funded nonprofit that provides training and legal and policy services to school boards statewide. “We provide this training at no additional cost to school boards,” Christina said, noting NHSBA’s policy database, webinars and legislative tracking services. He told the board…