School Board

Overview

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The Board of Directors for Seattle Public Schools is an elected body of seven citizens representing geographical regions, known as Districts, within the City of Seattle. The length of each member's term is four years. Directors are elected by district in the primary elections and at-large (city-wide) in the general elections of odd-numbered years.

It is the belief of the Board of Directors and Superintendent that they are partners in the governance team of Seattle Public Schools. Both must do their jobs well for the organization to be successful and for the governance team as a whole to be effective.

The Board officers for 2013 are:
Director Kay Smith-Blum - President
Director Betty Patu - Vice President
Director Sharon Peaslee - Member-at-Large 

Board Meeting Agenda(s) - click on the date to view agenda 

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• May 13, 2013 - Executive Session: Evaluate a complaint against a public employee
• May 15, 2013 - Regular Board Meeting
  

Work of the Board

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Responsibilities of the Board of Directors include: hiring and evaluating the Superintendent; establishing policies for governing the school district; adopting a balanced budget each year; having legal and fiduciary authority for the school district; adopting instructional materials; and, serving as community representatives to the district and on behalf of the district.

Policy Review

One of the ongoing responsibilities of the Board of Directors is to establish policies that guide the operation of the School District. Learn more about the current policy work underway.

Current Initiatives

• Budget Development – Implement a comprehensive budget development process that reflects the strategic plan priorities and includes both internal and external engagement
• Audit Response – Develop and implement a response plan to address the SAO audits, using a project management team structure with Board Directors and CFOO as sponsors; Implement quarterly governance work sessions to provide management oversight of the district’s business systems
• Policy Review—Develop governance policies and a governance structure to allow appropriate management oversight; ensure finance policies meet best practice standards

Board of Directors and Their District Maps