ASBSD is excited to announce we have launched ASBSD School Board U, an online training site for school board members.
ASBSD School Board U offers board members five course options – School Board Governance, Fiscal Responsibility, Strategic Planning, a New Board Member Workshop and Ethical School Board Service. Visit our webpage to find registration links for each course.
School Board Governance
This workshop helps board members better understand their unique role in public education and public service. Board members will be introduced to education law, policy making, board-superintendent relationships, the difference between governance and management, collective bargaining, human resources, and board meeting procedures.
Fiscal Responsibility
This workshop presents the basics on school district finances and helps board members understand where school district funds come from, how they are managed, and where they go. Board members will be introduced to the concept of fund accounting, state laws that effect school finances, the state school funding formula, budget preparation and the board’s role, and components of internal financial control.
Strategic Planning
This workshop helps board members identify the key elements of strategic planning and gets them started on writing a strategic plan for their school district. Board members will learn the importance of district level vision, mission, beliefs, and goals. Board members will learn the importance of data-driven decision making, the value of accountability in tracking student achievement, the importance of creating a board learning community, and the importance of developing a continuous improvement plan.
New School Board Member Workshop
This is a course for new school board members. It will give new members a quick overview of responsibilities, expectations, and modes of operation of school board members. It will also outline some of the pitfalls of board membership, and guide members to the proper means to improve student achievement and learning. This course is based on the newly revised Code of Ethics for School Board members from the Associated School Boards of South Dakota (ASBSD) Policy Reference Manual. Some of the items from the Code of Ethics will be discussed separately, while others will be combined by subject matter or topic with similar items.
Ethical School Board Service
This course is based on the older Code of Ethics for School Board members sample policy (now revised) from the Associated School Boards of South Dakota (ASBSD) Policy Reference Manual. Each of the 15 items from the Code of Ethics will be listed separately and expounded upon. The course outlines and underscores school board members’ roles and responsibilities and expected ethical performance and behavior as a school board member. This course is recommended for new and veteran board members.
Developed by the Georgia School Board Association and hosted by their affiliate, eBoard Solutions, School Board U allows school board members to complete training individually, at their own pace and from the comfort of their home.
If you are a new school board member or if your fellow board members have previously completed training in one of these courses, School Board U will cover your training needs. (Please note: ASBSD will continue to do in-person training for school boards.)
Veteran board members looking to review or gain new knowledge in Board Governance, Fiscal Responsibility, Strategic Planning and/or Ethical School Board Service can also do so through ASBSD School Board U.
School board members seeking training will commit approximately 4 hours to the course they choose to complete. Courses don’t just follow a lecture and read model, but rather feature videos and interactive activities to help engage trainees.
“The School Board U format engages board members, and invites them to interact with the material and content,” Leadership Development Director Randy Royer said. “The videos and activities, along with the suggested readings, will culminate with a full understanding of the subject matter.”
The cost of each course is $100 per registrant, except for the New School Board Member workshop and Ethical School Board Service courses which are $50, and registration must completed online by your district’s business manager – similar to how registration is completed for other ASBSD events.
If you have questions about School Board U, please contact Leadership Develop Director Dr. Randall Royer at 605-773-2504 or rroyer@asbsd.org.