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April, 2003, South Dakotans for the Arts
School Boards 101: Basics of Local Advocacy
Local school boards across South Dakota, including yours, are struggling with the budget process RIGHT NOW, making decisions that may have serious consequences for arts in education. Many citizens are concerned about the state of arts education and programs in their school districts. As an active local arts organization, you are their natural partner and most effective advocate. YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU.
We have prepared the enclosed guidelines for your use and information; please feel free to copy and distribute it as needed. School boards are made up of individuals who work hard to provide every child in their district with the best possible education. They need information and input from the community. YOUR SCHOOL BOARD needs to hear from you.
This is also the season of great student achievement in the arts. Students who participate in the arts, in band, chorus, theater, debate, visual arts, dance, writing, and media, are involved RIGHT NOW in competitions, plays, exhibits and publications. Point to the hard work and achievements of these students in your community as you begin to talk about the importance of arts education in your school district. They are the best argument for continuing the opportunities provided by arts education programs.
If you discover that in your district, there is no current threat to arts education programs, then your task is much easier. Go to the school board and praise them, the teachers and the students. Let them know this is important to the community, and celebrate.
IF WE ARE TO LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND, then we must use what we know about the different ways that children learn. If we ignore the role of the arts in education, we miss early and important opportunities to reach and teach every child, to allow each child to succeed and to excel.
WE NEED YOU to keep SoDA, your statewide arts organization, informed about arts education at the local level. Let us know whats happening in your district, and what we can do to assist you and your community partners. Working together, we can make a difference.
School board procedure
- School boards typically meet on the second Monday of each month.
- They are required to publish the agenda at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting; most often the agenda will appear in the newspaper the Friday before the meeting.
- School Boards have meetings in public; these are not public meetings where anyone present can stand and be recognized to speak. Therefore, if you wish to speak on an issue before the board, you must be included on the agenda.
- Requests to be placed on the agenda of a school board meeting should be directed to the Superintendent. In some cases, the request may be directed to the Chairman of the School Board, or to another Board Member. If presented as an agenda item by a board member other than the chair, the motion to include the item in the agenda must be seconded by another board member.
- Personnel issues are not discussed at meetings in public,
but rather in Executive Session. Items submitted for the agenda at
public held meetings concern programs.
Budget schedule
- Preliminary budget is published in March.
- All personnel must be informed if they are not going to be re-hired for the next school year by April 15th.
- Once the preliminary budget is approved, a budget hearing must be held by August 1st.
- Final approval must be made by October 1st.
On average, 79% of school budgets go to salaries and benefits.
Tips for effective advocacy
- Present your case in a non-threatening manner.
- School board primary objective is improving education for the students in the district.
- Parents have considerable influence.
- Boards need community support. Close to 80% of the residents of a district do not have students in school. Boards cannot afford to wait for an Opt Out Election to develop this support.
For more information, contact South Dakotans for the Arts.