Roles & Responsibilities

History of Local School Boards

The local school board grew out of the town meeting, dating back more than 200 years to the original 13 Colonies. Times have changed, but the basic function of school boards today remains the same - to provide local citizen control over public education. This means that the Natrona County School District Board of Trustees represents the residents of Natrona County - not just some of the citizens, but all of them.

Key Work of School Boards

The key work of school boards is the framework of eight essential key action areas that focus and guide school boards in their efforts to improve student achievement. The eight areas include:
* Vision
* Standards
* Assessment
* Accountability
* Alignment
* Climate
* Collaborative Relationships
* Continuous Improvement

The framework is rooted in systemic theory that holds that no action is accomplished in isolation. This means that as one key work area is intentionally or unintentionally addressed, other key work areas necessarily are affected. Working effectively together, the key work components can optimize the local school board’s ability to make positive and lasting improvements.

Board of Trustees Responsibilities

Perhaps the single most important job of the Board of Trustees is to employ a superintendent and hold him/her accountable for managing the schools in accordance with federal, state, and local law and Board policies. Your school board is the advocate for your community when decisions are made about your children’s education. The Board of Trustees works with the superintendent to establish district goals and measurements of student success and, when necessary, shift resources to ensure that district goals are achieve. In addition, the Board of Trustees:
* Authorizes the appointment of district staff;
* Authorizes curriculum development and revision; and
* Establishes an operating budget for the district.

All policies established by the board must be consistent with the laws covering public education in the State of Wyoming and must follow the guidelines established by the Wyoming State Board of Education.