ducation and schools in Greater Houston. If you have a question for us to answer, please email us at education@houstonlanding.org or fill out the form at the end of this article.
This week’s question:
How are school board members selected and who keeps them accountable?
On Feb. 25, Aldine ISD’s school board voted to close schools at the end of the school year leaving some parents to wonder about how the people making decisions about their children’s education were put in place.
School board of trustees are volunteers elected by community members in their areas to govern the school district. Trustees don’t manage the day-to-day operations of the district but oversee its management.
They work in tandem with the superintendent to accomplish the district’s goals and vision. They approve policies while the superintendent is responsible for implementing them districtwide.
Here’s what to know about how school board members are elected and how they are trained.
How are school board members elected?
Residents elect each member on their public school board. However, the Texas Education Agency does have the power to take over a board and appoint a new board of managers if they deem necessary.
To run for a school board seat, candidates must meet a set of requirements, including being a U.S. citizen, be 18 years of age or older, not be a convicted felon, be registered to vote in the area of the election and have continuously resided in the area for the 12 months prior to the election.
Residents from each community vote for their representatives, but each school district conducts elections differently.
Districts, such as Katy, Pasadena and Spring Branch ISDs, use an “at-large” elections system where residents from across the district will vote for the school board vacancy.
While some districts will use the “single-member districts” elections system, where a district will split the community into different geographical sections and each area will vote for a seat.
What are their duties?
School board members oversee the management of their districts, hiring the superintendent and internal auditor and approving the district’s budget.
The board of managers can introduce policies, create partnerships with businesses and create and implement a vision for their district. The board of trustees must vote on proposals presented by the superintendent or other district leaders such as ending a program, closing schools or introducing a new initiative before it becomes official.
Do they oversee hiring or employees?
Each school board hires its superintendent and an internal auditor.
The board of trustees directly oversees the district’s superintendent and ensures they accomplish goals set out for the district’s academic achievement.
The superintendent will terminate or suspend employees while the board of trustees has the sole power to remove the superintendent.
Similarly, the board of trustees typically hire internal auditors, who are responsible for analyzing the effectiveness of a district’s operations, plans, programs and compliance with the law. Texas law does not require school boards to hire internal auditors.
Are they trained?
Yes. The State Board of Education requires each board of trustees member to undergo some form of training for the voluntary role. Training includes topics about school safety, introduction to the Texas Education Code, team-building, cybersecurity, Open Meetings Act and more.
Every two years trustees must complete a three hour training on evaluating student academics and an hour training on identifying and reporting sexual abuse.
How are budgets approved?
Trustees will vote to approve a budget as a whole and pass the budget for the next fiscal year. They will oversee if the superintendent is properly maintaining the district’s financial procedures and records.
What meetings are they required to have?
Texas law requires governing bodies, including school boards, to host public meetings. Typically, school boards host regular meetings once a month where they meet to vote on proposals and issues brought forward and hear from the public.
School boards can also host board workshops and study sessions to further discuss an item on the regular board agenda.
During its regular monthly board meetings, school boards can conduct closed sessions where they discuss matters outside of the public eye. Any voting must be done outside of closed session
Who keeps trustees accountable?
The Texas Education Agency, which oversees primary and secondary public education, has the power to remove a district’s board of managers and superintendent.
The commissioner of education, who leads the TEA, can appoint monitors, conservators, management teams or an entire board of managers if a district isn’t performing well.
In 2023, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath replaced Houston ISD’s elected school board after state sanctions tied to poor academic ratings at Wheatley High School. Morath also appointed Mike Miles as superintendent.
Angelica Perez is a general assignment reporter for the Landing’s education team. Find her @byangelicaperez on Instagram and X, or reach her directly at angelica@houstonlanding.org.
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