Clearly defined roles and responsibilities are essential for effective governance. One of the most common challenges in schools is confusion between the role of the Board and the role of the Head of School. This section provides guidance to help define governance roles, clarify responsibilities, and support a healthy and productive partnership between the Board and school leadership.
The role of the Board is to govern the school, not to manage its daily operations. The Board is responsible for the school’s mission, strategic direction, financial sustainability, policy development, and the hiring, support, and evaluation of the Head of School. The Board works at a strategic level and delegates the day-to-day management of the school to the Head of School.
Use these resources if your school needs to:
Clarify the role of the Board
Prevent micromanagement
Define governance vs. management responsibilities
Train new board members on their role
Establish board responsibilities and expectations
The Board Chair provides leadership to the Board and helps ensure that the Board operates effectively. The Chair works closely with the Head of School to develop meeting agendas, facilitates board meetings, supports committee work, and helps ensure that the Board focuses on governance and strategic issues rather than day-to-day operations.
Use these resources if your school needs to:
Clarify the responsibilities of the Board Chair
Support a new Board Chair
Improve board meeting leadership and effectiveness
Strengthen communication between the Board and the Head of School
Resources to be added
Board officers typically include the Chair/President, Vice Chair/Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Each officer has specific responsibilities that support the work of the Board, particularly in areas such as financial oversight, governance processes, and board organization.
Use these resources if your school needs to:
Define officer roles and responsibilities
Clarify the role of the Treasurer in financial oversight
Clarify the role of the Secretary in maintaining records and minutes
Establish clear expectations for board officers
Resources to be added.
Use of Materials
These resources are provided for AISA member schools for internal school use and adaptation. If you adapt or share these materials, please acknowledge the AISA Small Schools Resource Hub. Materials may not be sold or publicly redistributed without permission.