The primary role of the school board is to hold the Superintendent of the district accountable, including hiring and firing, to ensure he or she is working in the best interest of the teachers, classified employees, parents and students. If the superintendent position is vacant, it is the school board’s responsibility to interview and hire a suitable Superintendent. The superintendent has a large administrative staff that he leads. The board assesses the superintendent as far for the job he is doing managing his staff.
Board members prepare for meetings by studying the issues that will be discussed and/or voted on at board meetings. Board members vote on personnel issues (hiring, firing), the district budget, and they bring recognition to employees and programs by attending events. A board member is not paid for their time, but they do receive a monthly stipend. NLMUSD School Board meetings are scheduled on Monday nights and can be attended in person or heard through a link on the district website. The agenda for school board meetings must be available for the public to see 72 hours in advance of the meeting so residents can see the topics that will be discussed or voted on. Each board member has the opportunity to express their perspective on a topic prior to a vote being taken. For an item to be passed, a majority (at least 4 of the 7) of the members must vote to approve. Although the NLMUSD board members reside in seven different Trustee Areas throughout the district, it is their job to advocate for the needs of the entire district and see that resources are allocated fairly, including the schools in their trustee area.