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Veteran board chair urges North Marion trustees to stay out of operations, build trust with superintendent
Summary
Bill Lager, a longtime Oregon board chair, told North Marion trustees at their retreat to keep board and superintendent roles distinct, centralize communications through administrators, read board packets and use an operating agreement to set expectations and preserve confidentiality.
At the North Marion School District 15 retreat, former long-serving board chair Bill Lager urged trustees to clarify roles with the superintendent, avoid operational meddling and build trust through consistent communications. Lager, who has served as a board chair in Scappoose for more than a decade, presented a practical checklist for a board–superintendent operating agreement.
“Stay out of operations,” Lager told trustees in a lengthy second-half presentation. He described the board’s primary job as setting policy and holding the superintendent accountable while leaving day-to-day operations—hiring, personnel management, and program logistics—to district staff. He said that board members who try to manage operations or second-guess administrative hiring risk undermining the superintendent and creating legal or personnel complications.
Lager emphasized confidentiality and warned that texts and email exchanges about district business are often public records. He recommended a single board email that routes messages to the superintendent and board secretary so everyone receives the same information and potential serial communications are avoided. He also encouraged trustees to read board packets in advance, use standing committees where appropriate, and keep regular meetings efficient.
On board culture, Lager urged trustees to act as ambassadors for the district—“be a cheerleader” for staff and publicize successes—and to follow the principle of “no surprises” in superintendent communications. He said board goals should align with the superintendent’s strategic plan and recommended routine one-on-ones, social mixers and committee participation to strengthen working relationships.
The retreat concluded with an agreed next step: trustees will send suggested edits to the draft operating agreement to Dan (the superintendent) by Friday and revisit the document at a scheduled September 30 work session ahead of a planned October adoption deadline.
