Frequently Asked Questions

The school board has a dual role: To represent the concerns of the citizens, taxpayers, and parents to the school administrators, and to represent the needs of the students and school district to the citizens, taxpayers, and parents of the community. The school board does not operate the district on a day-to-day basis; this is the job of the superintendent, who is the district’s chief executive. Rather, the school board sets the policies, goals, and objectives for the district – and it holds the superintendent responsible for implementing the policies and achieving the goals.

The Board’s role is to:

• Set district policies and goals
• Communicate policies and goals to the superintendent
• Oversee the budget
• Hiring and evaluating the superintendent
• Serving as the communications link between the community and the school district.

Among the Board’s legal duties are:

• Approving what shall be taught in the schools and which textbooks will be used
• Approving necessary personnel and setting their salaries
• Approving all contracts and paying all bills
• Approving the annual budget

Individual Board Members may not act alone or make decisions that are binding upon the Board. Binding decisions are made only upon a majority vote taken by the School Board.

The school board consists of lay representatives – people who live in the community and are selected by the community. They are non-partisan and they receive no pay or benefits for their public service.

Members are elected to three-year terms by the local voters. School board elections are in November. Board members elected in November will be sworn in and take their seats at the Reorganization meeting in January.

If a vacancy occurs between elections, the current Board will appoint a new board member to serve the remainder of that trustee's term. Appointed members will be sworn in and take their seats at the next regular public meeting of the Board.

To become a member of a local Board of Education in New Jersey, you must:

• Be able to read and write
• Hold U.S. citizenship and one year’s residency in the school district
• Have no interest in any contract with, or claim against the Board
• Not hold office as mayor or member of the municipal government body, or in the case of county school districts, the county governing body
• Be registered to vote in the district

All school board members in New Jersey are required to abide by the following
Code of Ethics for School Board Members:

1. I will uphold and enforce all laws, rules, and regulations of the State Board of Education, and court orders pertaining to schools. Desired changes shall be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures.
2. I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing.
3. I will confine my board action to policy making, planning, and appraisal, and I will help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them.
4. I will carry out my responsibility, not to administer the schools, but, together with my fellow board members, to see that they are well run.
5. I will recognize that authority rests with the board of education and will make no personal promises nor take any private action that may compromise the board.
6. I will refuse to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools for personal gain or for the gain of friends.
7. I will hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which, if disclosed, would needlessly injure individuals or the schools. In all other matters, I will provide accurate information and, in concert with my fellow board members, interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its school.
8. I will vote to appoint the best-qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer.
9. I will support and protect school personnel in proper performance of their duties.
10. I will refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and will act on the complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution.

L18A:12-24.1

The superintendent’s responsibilities fall into three areas:

1) Primary advisor to the Board of Education

The superintendent briefs the board on district issues and provides updates on district operations as well as background information, alternatives, suggestions, and recommendations before Board decisions are made. The superintendent may ask other district staff to attend board meetings to give reports on particular items.

2) Chief Executive Officer of the school district

Responsible for administering the policies adopted by the school board and for running the school system on a daily basis. The superintendent is accountable to the board regarding how well the district is run.

3) Educational leader of the community

It’s the superintendent’s job to evaluate and assess how district policies are being implemented at all levels. The superintendent ensures that all issues on an agenda for board action are accompanied by his/her recommendation, including staff input and study when necessary. The superintendent also acts as the liaison to the Board for all district employees.

The Board has a minimum of one regular meeting per month. The meeting is generally held on a Monday each month or as specified. Interested citizens are welcome to attend. The public portion of the meetings are held at 8:00 p.m. Please check the District website for dates, times and locations of the meetings.

The School Board holds work sessions to engage in dialogue and discuss specific topics in greater depth.  Work sessions are open to the public but comments are not accepted. Voting does not occur at a Work Session meeting. Special meetings of the Board may include closed meetings, joint meetings, Board retreats, Committee of the Whole, and special events. 

All members of the community are invited and encouraged to attend BOE meetings. At regular Board meetings, the Board can take official action on school business, discuss policy, hire personnel, give direction to the Administration, and set goals for the district. The Board can also elect to meet in closed work sessions in accordance with the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act ("Sunshine Law"). Topics discussed during closed sessions include personnel, labor negotiations, and confidential and legal matters. Members of the public attending Board of Education meetings are permitted to voice their opinions on school-related topics at specified times during the meeting. Time is allotted at the beginning of the meeting for audience comments on agenda items only, and again at the end of the meeting for comments on any topic concerning the schools. Policy #0167 - Public Participation in Board Meetings is available for further details regarding public comment.

Each meeting follows an agenda that establishes the sequence of events for that meeting. Meetings are conducted by the Board President based on a combination of A Commentary on Parliamentary Procedure, common sense, and common courtesy. Meetings can last up to two or more hours, depending on the content of the agenda.

The school board publicly posts an annual notice describing the date and location of meetings and an agenda for each meeting. The agenda reasonably reflects the matters to be discussed. However, the board is not precluded from addressing an issue that arises if it is not on the agenda.

Board of Education meeting agendas are available on the District website. (click here) on the Friday evening prior to the next week’s meeting. The agenda is sent to local newspapers for posting.

At public meetings, the Board of Education takes official action on school business, discusses policy, and confirms personnel appointments recommended by the superintendent. Board members have the opportunity to discuss items prior to voting on official agenda items. At every public meeting of the Board, there are two opportunities for the public to address the Board.

State law requires a public comment period at board meetings. Boards are allowed to establish reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of public comment. For instance, school boards typically set guidelines on the length of an individual’s comment (e.g., a certain amount of time per person), so no one person dominates the meeting. 

• At Tenafly Board of Education Meetings, the public is invited to address the Board on any topic regarding the school district, both subjects on the agenda or general topics. 
• Comments should be limited to issues. If personal remarks or discourteous statements are made, the presiding officer shall require the speaker to stop. 
• No person will be recognized for a second time until all others asking to speak have been heard.

Comments from citizens generally go through the chair, the board president. Persons wishing to speak must, upon being recognized, state their name and address. Each speaker shall be limited to three minutes. A speaker who has not finished in the allotted time will be directed by the presiding officer to summarize quickly and relinquish the floor within 30 seconds.

The public comment period is an opportunity to listen to citizen concerns, but not to debate issues or enter into a question-and-answer session or a “cross examination” between the public and individual members. Not all issues brought before a board meeting will be resolved that evening; boards may respond to public comment by seeking additional information or by delegating the authority to investigate the issue to the superintendent or his/her designee. While public education can be an emotional issue, and understandably so, the board will strive to maintain a certain level of decorum at the meeting. Many meetings are recorded or televised, and students often attend or participate in the meetings. As such, citizens are expected to maintain tone of courtesy and civility.

The Board follows Roberts Rules of Order, which describes how meetings are run, how motions and votes are taken, and other procedures. The school board’s secretary can inform citizens on rules of order and other issues of board policy.

New Jersey’s Open Public Meetings Act (also known as the Sunshine Law) specifies nine areas that are to be discussed in “executive” or closed-door session. Although debate may be private, any action taken must be in public session. The Board will indicate that “action may be taken” when they return to public session and before the meeting is adjourned.

Only items that fall under the following topics may be discussed during closed Executive Session:

• Collective bargaining agreements/proposals or other contracts
• Personnel issues
• Matters confidential by law
• Items protected by attorney-client privilege
• Matters of individual privacy
• Specific pending or anticipated litigation
• Purchase or lease of real estate
• Protecting public safety

The Board of Education Work Session meeting is where issues are discussed in greater detail. Voting does not occur at a Work Session meeting. In addition, the committee structure, which includes certain members of the board and other identified individuals, works with the superintendent and/or key administrators to study specific issues and make recommendations to the full board for a vote. By the time the board has a regular “agenda” or “business” meeting where it votes on issues, the agenda items have usually been vetted and studied.

Minutes of public Board of Education meetings are available on the district website (click here). Board minutes are presented for approval at subsequent Board Meetings in order to be voted into the public record.

Video recordings of past BOE meetings are typically posted within a week of the meeting on the Agenda/Minutes/Meeting Dates page under the Board of Education channel on the TPS website.

Maybe. We recommend working up the chain of command. For instance, if a parent has a problem with a teacher, the parent should first address it with the teacher, and, if the issue is not resolved, the parent should turn to the principal or supervisor, and then the superintendent. The school board should be the “court of last resort.” 

The Board rarely can act immediately on an issue brought before it for the first time. Even in the case of more familiar topics, the Board takes action only after it has examined all aspects of an issue. However, the Board will act as promptly as circumstances allow and notify you when it arrives at a decision.

Committee meetings are scheduled as needed. These meetings focus upon specific issues related to District policy and communications, curriculum and technology, facilities and athletics, and finance and revenue.

To communicate with the Board as a whole, we invite members of the public to attend a regular public meeting and share your ideas and thoughts during the public comments period. Individual Board members can be reached via email: click here for addresses.