About
“School Board Meetings are meetings of the Board in Public. Thus School Board Meetings
are not meetings of the Public with the Board.”
Mission Statement
The mission of The Somerset Hills School District is to provide an authentic and balanced learning experience for each student by harnessing the power of innovation and an engaged community to create thoughtful and impactful global citizens.
Somerset Hills School District BOE Structure
The SHSD is a regional Board of Education composed of ten unpaid elected members who work closely with the Superintendent. Board members are elected for staggered 3- year terms. There are six representatives from Bernardsville, two from Peapack/Gladstone, one from Far Hills, and one representative from Bedminster. The number of Board members from each area is determined by the percentage of the total school community their town/borough represents. Board members are school community representatives, which means they represent the entire school community, not just the area in which they were elected and reside. The District Business Administrator also serves as the SHSD Board Secretary.
Representatives from the Town and Boroughs are elected by the public to rotating 3-year terms of office. The Board of Education election is held on Election Day, the first Tuesday in November. The Bedminster representative is a member of the Bedminster Board of Education (a sending district) and is appointed annually by that body to the Somerset Hills School District to represent Bedminster on issues affecting Bernards High School.
NJSBA Publications - Who does what
Most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Click here
Board Member Code of Ethics: Click here
BOARD/SUPERINTENDENT (CSA) RELATIONSHIP
The role of the BOE is not to run the schools, but to ensure that they are well run.
FUNCTIONS
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Selects superintendent
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Hires staff
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Adopts policies, budgets, and goals
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Implements policies, budgets, and objectives
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Asks questions to ensure optimal results (why, what, how much)
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Answers questions to ensure optimal results (how, when, who)
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Establishes two way communication with stakeholders
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RESPONSIBILITIES
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Establishes:
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Creates:
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Vision |
Objectives |
Mission |
Strategies |
Goals
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Action plans |
Policies
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Procedures |
ACTIONS
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Monitors the district
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Runs the district
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13 THINGS BOARD MEMBERS WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THEM: Click here
CHAIN OF COMMAND
According to Board Policy 9130 the public is encouraged to resolve their concerns at the lowest level possible and escalate where/when necessary. That chain of command follows accordingly:
- Staff member/teacher
- Principal/Department Supervisor
- Superintendent
- Board of Education
*Only in those cases where satisfactory adjustment cannot be made by the Superintendent and the staff shall communications and complaints be referred to the Board for resolution.
District Policy 9130 - Public Complaints and Grievances - can be accessed in its entirety at the following link: Click here
RESOURCES FOR POTENTIAL BOE CANDIDATES
How To Run For the BOE: Click here
Somerset County Clerk’s Office/Petition: Click here
Sources:
NJSBA Presentation: The Board/Superintendent Relationship - NJSBA Governance I Weekend Orientation 2/2020
NJSBA New Board Member Orientation Supplemental; i-6, i-7, i-17
NJSBA Governance I: New Board Member Orientation; The Board-Superintendent Relationship: Additional Resources
NJSBA Fundamentals of School Board Membership
"Basic Boardsmanship" by Toby R. Simon, New Jersey School Boards Association, 1986, ISBN 0-912337-06-0.
N.J.S.A 18A: 12-24.1 (d)