The Board of Education shall annually, at its first meeting in January, elect the following officers who shall serve for a full year and until their successors are elected at the annual organizational meeting:
- President of the Board
- Vice-President of the Board
- Secretary of the Board
- Treasurer of the Board
The Board may appoint such Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers as the Board determines. The President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary shall be members of the Board. Assistant Secretaries or Assistant Treasurers need not be Board members.
Candidates shall be nominated by the Board members and shall be elected by a majority vote of members elected to, or appointed, and serving on the Board. No second to a nomination shall be required. Board members in their first year of service shall not be nominated and elected to a Board officer position, unless deemed necessary by the majority of the Board.
Vacancy In Office
In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President shall become President.
In the event of a vacancy in any other Board office, the Board shall fill the vacancy by election at the next regular Board meeting.
The offices of President and Vice-President are to be filled at all times by either regular or temporary appointment
President Role & Responsibilities
The President of the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education first and foremost assures the integrity of the Board’s process. In addition, the President may be the only Board member authorized to speak for the Board other than when the Vice- President presides in the absence of the President or the Board authorizes another Board member to serve as a spokesperson.
Specific responsibilities of the President are:
- Presiding over and facilitate Board meetings and maintain order;
- Representing the Board to outside parties;
- Making decisions within the parameters of Board policy;
- Guiding the Board in achieving its job outcomes;
- Providing clarity of its governance process when needed;
- Responding to public comment;
- Providing leadership and counsel to Board members;
- Appointing Board members to standing and ad hoc committees;
- Determining the Board meeting agendas with the Superintendent according to the Board’s expectations and legal statutes;
- Assigning seating at the Board table;
- Ensuring that the Board acts consistently within its own policies and procedures;
- Ensuring that the Board upholds legal statutes;
- Holding meeting discussions that are pertinent to the Board’s job; and
- Ensuring that the Board completes its business in a fair, open, timely, and orderly manner.
The President of the Board is not authorized to:
- Make decisions regarding mission-related or Superintendent (Parameters/ Responsibilities) policy areas, as these are for the full review of the Board;
- Expend funds unless authorized by the Board;
- Enter into contracts on behalf of the Board; and
- Exceed the authority granted by the Board.
The President of the Board is authorized to:
- Make decisions that fall within the purview of Board policies, unless authority is delegated elsewhere;
- Use any reasonable interpretation of the provisions within policies;
- Represent the Board in announcing Board-related positions, stating President decisions and interpretations delegated to the President;
- Respond to inquiries from the media; and
- Provide for the annual in-service for all Board members, both incumbent and newly elected, on functioning as an individual Board member and as a Board, according to its policies.
Vice-President Duties & Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities of the Vice-President include:
- Presiding at all Board meetings in the absence of the President;
- Performing all duties of the President when the President is absent; and
- Managing the Superintendent evaluation process, including notifying the President and Superintendent of appropriate timelines as specified in the Superintendent’s contract, implementing the evaluation for all phases of the contract, and preparing a final document if the Board determines that a written document should be prepared and filed. The evaluation tool will be mutually agreed upon by the Board’s Executive Committee and Superintendent.
Treasurer Duties & Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities of the Treasurer include:
- Performing the responsibilities delegated by the Michigan Revised School Code;
- Delegating to the Chief Financial Officer the duties of the Treasurer required by the Michigan Revised School Code, except those legally the responsibility of the elected officer; and
- Serving as the chairperson of the Board’s Finance Committee and, in that capacity, reviewing financial reports and documents prior to the presentation of same by staff to the entire Board.
Secretary Duties and Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities of the Secretary include:
- Delegating to the Assistant to the Board the duties of the Secretary required by the Michigan Revised School Code, except those legally the responsibility of the elected officer; and
- Informing the Board of communications and other information that is directed to the Board.
Removal of a Board Officer from the Position
The Board may remove a member from the office of President, Vice President, Treasurer or Secretary by a majority vote of the Board’s members and shall elect another Board member to the office.
In the event of a motion to remove the President of the Board from that position, the President shall be asked by the person making the motion to step aside and allow the Vice-President or other officer to temporarily chair the meeting until a vote is taken.
