DRAFT 1.1 • BOARD GOVERNANCE OPERATING MANUAL • Audience: Minnesota school board members and district leaders

How a Minnesota school board actually governs

A board member does not govern by giving the strongest speech. A board governs by putting an item on the agenda, adopting clear policy, assigning responsibility, attaching measurable expectations to administration, controlling lawful expenditures and adoptions, and following up on the result.

This page is an operating manual for translating a governing objective into lawful board action. It is not legal advice, does not replace district policy or counsel, and does not claim that a local board can disregard binding state or federal law.

1. The first rule: the board acts collectively

An individual board member has a vote, access to information consistent with law and policy, and whatever procedural rights the board’s own rules provide. But an individual member ordinarily does not direct district staff or change district policy alone. Governing authority is exercised by the board acting as a body through its lawful meeting and decision process.

Minnesota law places broad district powers in the school board under Minn. Stat. §123B.02. Under §123B.09, the board manages the schools, adopts rules for organization, government, and instruction, and prescribes textbooks and courses of study, subject to law.

2. Board vs. superintendent

The board governs; the superintendent administers. Under Minn. Stat. §123B.143, the superintendent is an ex officio nonvoting member of the board, is selected and employed by the board, supervises the schools, recommends employment and dismissal of teachers, and performs duties prescribed by the board.

Board responsibility	Administrative responsibility
Adopt policy and expected outcomes	Implement adopted policy
Approve budgets, contracts, major vendors, and lawful adoptions	Prepare recommendations and manage execution
Hire, evaluate, renew or nonrenew the superintendent as allowed by law and contract	Supervise district staff and day-to-day operations
Require reports and measurable deliverables	Produce the reports and deliverables

A board member should not try to supervise individual teachers from the dais. The governance path is policy, superintendent direction, measurable expectations, documented implementation, and board follow-up.

3. Turn broad beliefs into visible artifacts

Words such as “academic excellence,” “transparency,” or “local control” do not implement themselves. Name the artifact that proves the board’s decision occurred.

Weak action	Governing action
“I want more transparency.”	Move adoption of a policy requiring specified materials to be posted or made reasonably reviewable by a defined date.
“The district should focus on reading.”	Require an elementary instructional-time report and adopt measurable scheduling expectations consistent with Minnesota law and the READ Act.
“I object to this assignment.”	Ask which standard or benchmark it measures, what rubric applies, how much time it uses, and which board policy governs the material.
“The superintendent needs to fix this.”	Adopt written board direction and, where appropriate, place the measurable deliverable into superintendent goals or evaluation criteria.
“This program costs too much.”	Require contract amount, recurring cost, staff time, instructional time, measurable outcome, and a vote on adoption or renewal.

4. Know what is local and what is statewide

A local board cannot repeal Minnesota statutes, statewide academic standards, or binding administrative rules. It can govern within the authority left to the district.

5. Use the superintendent cycle

Board priorities become more durable when they are translated into measurable administrative expectations. Review the superintendent’s contract, evaluation calendar, renewal timeline, and board policy before setting goals.

Superintendent goals worksheet

Expected outcome	What result should exist?
Artifact or deliverable	What document, posting, report, schedule, or policy proves completion?
Measurement	How will the board know whether the outcome occurred?
Reporting dates	When does the board receive evidence?
Legal/policy constraints	What law, board policy, contract, or bargaining obligation applies?
Evaluation evidence	What evidence will be used in the board’s formal review?

6. Adoption and spending are governing acts

A board should distinguish receiving an administrative recommendation from actually adopting it. When the board has legal responsibility for a curriculum adoption, textbook, vendor contract, or expenditure, members should know what they are voting to authorize.

• What student competency is the purchase or adoption intended to improve?
• What evidence supports it?
• What is the total and recurring cost?
• How much instructional or staff time does it consume?
• What existing instruction or expenditure will be displaced?
• What student product or result will be reviewed later?
• What happens if the board does not adopt the recommendation?

Use the Instructional Mandate Review for major proposals.

7. Read the collective bargaining agreement before promising implementation

Board policy, Minnesota public-employment law, and the district’s collective bargaining agreements can interact. A proposal affecting schedules, preparation time, workload, assignments, compensation, evaluation, or grievance procedures may require additional analysis or bargaining steps. Other matters may remain within management authority. Do not assume either result; map the issue before voting.

Contract/CBA implementation checklist

• Does the proposal alter hours or schedules?
• Preparation time?
• Workload or duties?
• Assignments?
• Compensation?
• Evaluation?
• Grievance exposure?
• Does counsel identify a bargaining or meet-and-confer obligation?
• What management-rights language applies?
• What implementation date is realistic?

8. Learn your agenda and packet rules

Agenda control is partly a matter of local board policy and procedure. Read your district’s board policies and bylaws. Determine who may request an agenda item, the deadline, whether multiple members are required, who prepares packet materials, when the packet is distributed, and how supporting documents are added.

If legal interpretation is likely to determine a vote, request the written analysis early enough for board members to read it before the meeting. Legal review should clarify authority and risk; it should not substitute for the board’s policy decision where the board lawfully retains discretion.

Agenda-to-action worksheet

Problem	What specifically needs to change?
Board authority	What statute, rule, board policy, contract, or adoption authority applies?
Agenda title	What exactly should appear on the agenda?
Proposed motion	What action should the board take?
Staff deliverable	What must be produced?
Responsible official	Who is accountable for implementation?
Deadline	By when?
Cost	What money or staff time is required?
Legal review	What question needs counsel’s answer?
Follow-up	When does the item return to the board?

Board Action Builder

Choose the type of board power, then the issue, then a sample motion. A useful motion answers five questions: What is the board deciding? Who must act? What must be produced? By when? When will the board check the result?

Governance

 Agenda & Board Process

  Require packet materials by a deadline

Use when: a major item is arriving without enough information for meaningful review.

I move that proposed major curriculum adoptions and vendor contracts be accompanied by the supporting materials required by board policy no later than [number] days before the scheduled vote, except where board policy permits an identified emergency exception.

  Request a written legal opinion before action

I move that the board refer the following question to district counsel for a written opinion before the board’s next consideration of this item: [precise legal question], with the opinion distributed with the meeting packet to the extent permitted by law.

  Set a board follow-up calendar

I move that each substantive board directive requiring later administrative action be entered on a board follow-up calendar showing the responsible administrator, deliverable, due date, and scheduled board review date.

 Authority & Jurisdiction

  Map board authority before debate

I move that the superintendent and counsel provide a one-page authority memorandum identifying which elements of [issue] are controlled by state statute or rule and which remain within local board discretion.

 Implementation & Follow-up

  Require an implementation report

I move that the superintendent report back to the board on [return-to-board date] with evidence of implementation of the policy adopted on [date], including required deliverables and any legal, operational, or contractual barriers encountered.

Curriculum

 Adoption

  Request curriculum artifacts before adoption

I move that the board postpone action on [curriculum/program] until the administration provides the proposed instructional units, major recurring materials, grading rubric, vendor agreement, estimated instructional time, and implementation cost by [deliverable date], with the item returning for board action on [return-to-board date].

  Do not adopt incomplete materials

I move that the board take no action to adopt [textbook/course/program] tonight and return the item to the administration for resubmission after the materials required by board policy have been provided.

  Require a course-of-study change summary

I move that every proposed course-of-study revision submitted for board adoption identify the current course, proposed change, state standards affected, instructional materials affected, credit implications, cost, and effective date.

 Standards & Benchmarks

  Request the benchmark for an identified assignment

I move that the superintendent provide the board with the state or district standard and benchmark associated with [identified assignment/unit], the required student product, and the grading criteria used to assess mastery.

  Require a competency-and-evidence statement

I move that the administration identify in writing the specific student competency this proposal is intended to improve, the evidence supporting the proposal, and the student work or outcome the board will review to determine whether it succeeded.

 Instructional Time

  Require an instructional-time analysis

I move that before adoption of [program], the superintendent provide a written report identifying the annual instructional minutes required, grade levels affected, and existing instruction that would be reduced or displaced.

  Protect elementary foundational time

I move that the superintendent provide a grade-by-grade report of scheduled daily minutes for reading/literacy and mathematics in grades K–5 and identify any recurring program proposed for adoption that would materially reduce those minutes.

 Grading & Intellectual Freedom

  Review grading for political participation

I move that the superintendent review district grading policies and recurring assignments and report whether any academic grade requires real-world political organizing, campaigning, lobbying, advocacy, or personal affirmation of a contested political belief, and recommend any policy clarification needed.

  Adopt a neutral grading rule

I move to adopt the following policy principle: academic grades shall measure knowledge, skill, evidence, reasoning, communication, and legitimate academic performance and shall not depend on a student’s personal political or ideological allegiance or participation in real-world political organizing.

Parent Rights

 Curriculum Review

  Make §120B.20 procedures visible

I move that the superintendent present for board review by [deliverable date] the district’s current parental curriculum-review and alternative-instruction procedure under Minn. Stat. §120B.20, including where the procedure is published, how requests are submitted, and how requests involving digital instructional materials are handled.

  Direct publication of the review process

I move that the district publish its current §120B.20 curriculum-review and alternative-instruction procedure in a clearly identifiable location on the district website and report completion to the board by [deliverable date].

 Public Access to Materials

  Adopt a curriculum-transparency standard

I move that the district establish a policy providing reasonable access to major recurring instructional materials, required student tasks, grading rubrics, and significant outside instructional resources, subject to copyright, privacy, security, and other applicable law.

Superintendent

 Goals & Evaluation

  Set a measurable superintendent performance goal

I move that the board include the following measurable superintendent goal for [year]: [specific outcome], evidenced by [artifact or metric], reported to the board on [dates], subject to final incorporation through the board’s established evaluation and contract process.

 Administrative Direction

  Direct a policy-compliance review

I move that the board direct the superintendent to review [identified issue] for compliance with board policy and applicable law and report findings and recommended corrective action to the board by [return-to-board date].

Budget & Contracts

 Vendor Approval

  Require a vendor-contract review

I move that the board defer renewal of the [vendor/program] contract until the administration provides total annual cost, contract term, termination provisions, staff training obligations, instructional time required, measurable student outcome, and evaluation of results.

 Spending & Priorities

  Require a budget-to-priority crosswalk

I move that the proposed annual budget identify expenditures associated with each board-adopted strategic academic priority and separately identify material program or vendor expenditures scheduled for renewal.

 Professional Development

  Require evidence before renewing professional development

I move that renewal of [professional-development program/vendor] be accompanied by a report identifying its cost, staff hours, intended instructional outcome, participation, and evidence of impact on district practice or student learning.

 Renewal Calendar

  Request an annual contract-renewal calendar

I move that the superintendent provide the board annually with a calendar of major curriculum, software, professional-development, transportation, service, and other vendor contracts requiring board renewal or action during the next 12 months.

Labor & CBA

 Collective Bargaining Agreement

  Review the CBA before implementation

I move that before implementation of [policy/program], the administration identify any provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements that may affect schedule, workload, preparation time, assignment, compensation, evaluation, or implementation timing, and report any required bargaining steps to the board.

 Bargaining Obligations

  Identify bargaining or meet-and-confer requirements

I move that the administration and counsel identify in writing any bargaining, meet-and-confer, or contractual steps that may be required before implementation of [policy/program], together with a proposed implementation timeline.

Committees

 Curriculum Advisory Committee

  Map the §120B.11 advisory structure

I move that the superintendent provide the board with the current membership, appointment terms, meeting calendar, responsibilities, and expected recommendations of the district advisory committee established under Minn. Stat. §120B.11.

 Committee Recommendations

  Require recommendations in writing

I move that recommendations from the district curriculum/advisory committee involving major curriculum adoption or program evaluation be provided to the board in writing with the supporting rationale and vote or consensus record, where applicable.

 Annual Calendar

  Establish a curriculum-adoption calendar

I move that the superintendent present by [deliverable date] an annual calendar identifying major curriculum reviews, textbook adoptions, course-of-study changes, vendor renewals, advisory-committee recommendations, and planned board action dates.

Program Review

 Program Approval

  Require competency, evidence, cost, time, and displacement

I move that before adoption of [program], the administration provide the intended student competency, supporting evidence, affected grades, annual instructional time, total and recurring cost, assessment method, and the instruction or expenditure that would be displaced.

 Program Review

  Add a sunset review

I move that [program] return to the board for continuation review on [return-to-board date], with data on student outcomes, implementation cost, instructional time, participation, and any instruction displaced.

9. Open Meeting Law: do not deliberate by group text

Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law applies to school boards. Members should be cautious about group texts, email chains, and serial communications concerning official business. One-way distribution of materials and scheduling logistics are different from deliberating toward agreement outside the public meeting. The Minnesota Attorney General publishes Open Meeting Law guidance; district counsel should be consulted when the line is unclear.

Minnesota Attorney General: Open Meeting Law resources →

10. Use the parent-review process that already exists

Minn. Stat. §120B.20 requires districts to have a process for parental review of instructional materials and arrangements for alternative instruction when the statutory conditions are met. A board can make that existing process visible, understandable, and usable without pretending it created a new statewide right.

• Publish where requests are submitted.
• Apply the process to identifiable digital lessons and materials when they are part of required instruction.
• Track whether requests receive timely responses.
• Ask parents to identify the specific unit, lesson, text, slide deck, benchmark, project, or assignment at issue.

11. Map the committees where recommendations are built

Minn. Stat. §120B.11 requires a district advisory structure dealing with curriculum, instruction, academic standards, assessment, and program evaluation. Districts may also use materials, policy, finance, or other committees under local policy.

At the organizational meeting or early in the year, identify each body that sends recommendations to the board: its legal or policy basis, members, appointment authority, term dates, chair, reporting schedule, and next major recommendation.

12. Board authority one-pager

Question	Check first
Does the board have general district authority?	Minn. Stat. §123B.02 and district policy
Is this a board management, instruction, textbook, or course-of-study matter?	Minn. Stat. §123B.09 and applicable state requirements
Is this day-to-day supervision?	Superintendent authority, §123B.143, board policy, contract
Is a parent asking to review curriculum?	§120B.20 and district procedure
Does a curriculum advisory body have a role?	§120B.11 and district policy
Could this affect employee terms or conditions?	Collective bargaining agreement, PELRA, counsel
Can members discuss this privately?	Open Meeting Law, board policy, counsel

13. A 90-day governance sequence

Days 1–30: learn the machinery

• Read board policies, bylaws, agenda rules, and the meeting calendar.
• Read the superintendent contract and evaluation calendar.
• Read the district collective bargaining agreements.
• Map statutory and local curriculum/advisory committees.
• List major curriculum, vendor, budget, and contract renewal dates.

Days 31–60: convert priorities into board work

• Select two or three board-level outcomes.
• Draft policy language, motions, or information requests.
• Identify legal, financial, bargaining, and operational constraints.
• Put the items through the board’s normal agenda process.

Days 61–90: vote and follow through

• Take the vote.
• Assign implementation responsibility.
• Set reporting dates and required artifacts.
• Return to the agenda to verify that the adopted action occurred.

14. Common failure modes

• Acting as if one member commands staff. Individual members ordinarily do not supervise teachers or administrators.
• Confusing a speech with an adopted direction. If there is no board action, responsible official, deliverable, or deadline, implementation is uncertain.
• Trying to repeal state law locally. Identify what authority the district actually retains.
• Ignoring the superintendent cycle. Board priorities should be reflected in lawful written expectations and follow-up.
• Ignoring contracts and bargaining obligations. Implementation should be checked before promises are made.
• Deliberating outside the meeting. Group texts, email chains, and serial conversations can create Open Meeting Law problems.
• Targeting an individual employee instead of governing through policy. Use administration, policy, evaluation, and documented compliance channels.
• Voting without the artifact. If the board expects a unit, contract, rubric, time analysis, or legal opinion before adoption, require it before the vote.

Status: Draft 1.1 framework and governance guidance; not adopted law and not legal advice. District-specific action should be checked against current Minnesota and federal law, board policy, contracts, and counsel. Related: Board Platform • Policy Standards • Instructional Mandate Review.