Role of the Board

The Board sets policy and then monitors the performance of the District in meeting the goals of educational achievement (student learning) and organizational effectiveness and success.

It has one primary personnel decision – hiring, delegating, and overseeing the work of the superintendent. The superintendent must have the authority to fulfill the responsibility for the performance of the District. 

Much of the Board’s role is reactive. The superintendent, with the support of staff and faculty, brings issues to the Board for consideration. The Board should not attempt directly to ‘fix problems” that are the delegated responsibilities of the superintendent. The superintendent is a professional, as are the teachers, librarians, and others staffing our schools, and they deserve our respect and support as they work to achieve our goals. 

The Board must continually and assertively engage in two-way communications with the community. Difficulties arise when District residents are not aware of the successes and challenges of the District, and likewise when the residents are not heard. I believe the Board has done a good job of offering opportunities to enhance that communication. Good communications can build trust and help the Board serve the needs of the entire District and not be unduly influenced by special interests.

The Board must focus on Board work, not staff work. Governance, oversight, and continuity of leadership are vital roles for the Board.

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In the November/December 2024 issue of Illinois School Board Journal, I was the only school board member quoted in "Taking Up the Threads of Governance" by Theresa Kelly Gegen as follows:

John K. Rutledge, a long-time board member for Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200, speaks of the importance of the process of governance.

"It's all about process, Rutledge says. "If the process is good, the decision will be good. Very few (if any) board members are capable of running a school district. If we have to tell the superintendent what to do, we have the wrong superintendent."

"Instead, ask questions about process, Rutledge continues. "What alternatives did you consider in formulating your recommendation? Among them, why did you select this one, pluses and minuses of each? Whose input did you solicit and consider? What are the downsides to your recommendation? What could go wrong and how would you address that? If the answers pass the smell test, I will support the recommendation."

Reproduced or adapted, with permission, from the Illinois Association of Schools Boards, copyright 2025. All rights reserved. The Illinois Association of School Boards does not endorse individual candidates.