Niskayuna Central School District Board of Education
Respect
The members of the Board of Education agree to interact with one another with respect and consideration. Negative words, gestures, inflections will be avoided when the board is engaged in debates of differing points of view.
Authority
The Board of Education realizes that the board as a whole has authority and that individual members do not.
Constituency
The Board of Education represents the entire Niskayuna school community and not any one group of people. Board members will encourage community members to present their questions, concerns or comments to the Superintendent of Schools, district employees, or the board as whole rather than individual members of the Board of Education.
Governance
The Board of Education will focus on planning, policy-making and communication. The management of the district and the schools will be the focus of the Superintendent of Schools and the administration.
Board Meetings
The Board of Education acknowledges that meetings are for conducting business, making decisions and action; not infinite discussion and debate. Once a decision has been made the members of the board agree to move on to other issues regardless of the vote of an individual member.
Agenda
The Board of Education agrees to speak to issues on the agenda and to attend to the business of the board. Board members should ask either the Superintendent or Board President to place items on an agenda and endeavor not to allow comments or questions from the audience to impede the agenda at hand.
Executive Session Confidentiality
The Board of Education recognizes that confidentiality is a key component of board membership and is essential to the development of a productive and cohesive board. Board members acknowledge the legal requirements regarding topics discussed in executive session and the sensitive nature of the duties of school district governance.
Student and Taxpayer Equity
The Board of Education’s first priority will be to ensure that all children of the Niskayuna Central School District receive a world class education. The Board will balance the cost of school programs with what the community can afford to provide.