Code No. 302.4
Superintendent Duties
The board employs a superintendent of schools to serve as the executive officer of the board. The board delegates to the superintendent the authority to administer the school district and to execute decisions made by the board concerning the internal operations of the school district, unless specifically stated otherwise.
The superintendent shall be responsible for the implementation and execution of board policy and the observance of board policy by school district personnel and students. The superintendent shall be responsible for the supervision and discipline of school district personnel, including the power to suspend personnel, and for the curriculum offered in the school district.
Specifically, the superintendent shall:
Attend all meetings of the board except when the superintendent’s own appointment, efficiency, contract, or salary are being considered, and serve as an ex-officio member of board committees;
Conduct a periodic audit of the total school program, and advise the board on recommendations for the educational advancement of the school;
Prepare and submit to the board recommendations relative to matters requiring board action, placing before the board such necessary and helpful facts, information, and reports as are needed to insure the making of informed decisions;
Secure and nominate for employment qualified and competent teachers and supervisory and administrative personnel;
Assign and transfer employees as the interest of the district may dictate, and report such action to the board;
Report to the board the case of any employee whose service is unsatisfactory, and recommend appropriate action;
Direct the preparation of the annual budget for adoption by the board and administer the budget as enacted by the board, acting in accordance with legal requirements and adopted board policies;
Maintain directly or through delegation such personnel records, pupil accounting records, business and property records, financial records, and other records which are required by law and by board policy;
Hold such meetings of teachers and other employees as necessary for the discussion of matters concerning the improvement and welfare of the schools;
Keep the public informed about modern educational practices, educational trends, and the policies, practices, and problems in the district’s schools;
Supervise the effective carrying out of constitutional or statutory laws, state regulations, and board policies;
Represent the school district before the public and maintain, through cooperative leadership, both within and without the schools, such a program of publicity and public relations as may keep the public informed as to the activities, needs, and successes of the schools;
Exercise power to make such rules and give such instructions to school employees and students as may be necessary to implement board policy;
Act on own discretion if action is necessary in a matter not covered by board policy, report such action to the board as soon as practicable, and recommend policy in order to provide guidance in the future;
Provide suitable instructions and regulations to govern the use and care of school properties for such purposes; and
Perform such other tasks as may from time to time be assigned by the board.
This list of duties shall not act to limit the board authority and the responsibility of the office of the superintendent. In executing these duties and others the board shall delegate, the superintendent shall consider the economics as well as the needs of the students of the school district.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code Chapters 279.8, 20, 23A (2003).
281 I.A.C. 12.4(4).
Cross Reference: 200 Powers of the School Board
200 Responsibilities of the School Board
300 Administrative Structure
300 Superintendent
Approved: April 10, 1989
Reviewed: February 16, 2016
Revised: February 16, 2016