From time to time, people wonder what the Board of Education actually does—and what they don’t do—in the day-to-day life of a school district. It’s an important distinction to make, and it’s one that helps ensure our schools are run effectively, responsibly, and in sync with Connecticut law.

The Old Saybrook Board of Education represents the Old Saybrook community in carrying out the mandates of the Connecticut General Statutes pertaining to education. Our main job is to set the big-picture goals and policies to be employed in the conduct of the schools. We review facts and data, listen to recommendations from our leadership team and input from the community, and we develop the district’s strategic plan, budget, and policies. Then, we hand those decisions over to the Superintendent to execute.

To put it simply: the Board handles the governance (the "what" and "why"), while the Superintendent and their team handle the day-to-day operations (the "how").

The Board takes care of tasks, like:

• Approving the yearly budget

• Setting student and staff policies

• Hiring the Superintendent

• Giving the green light on new curriculum

• Provide proper maintenance of our buildings 

• Engaging in long-term planning

The Superintendent is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school district in accordance with the mission, strategic plan, budget, and policies. They direct, observe, and evaluate the daily activities of administrators and teachers to deliver a high-quality education to every student in the district.

A great school system depends on every part of the team doing its job. The Board of Education has a huge responsibility, but we don’t manage the schools' day-to-day operations. Our job is to lead through big-picture oversight, so the Superintendent and staff have what they need to lead our schools every single day.

When everyone understands their role, the whole district functions better. It lets the Board focus on the big components—like strategic vision, policy, and long-term planning—while our school leaders can stay focused on what matters most: the students, the staff, and the daily work.

A set of bylaws guides everything the Board does (check them out here). The bylaws keep us consistent and make sure we’re always following State laws. You can find the specific responsibilities of the Old Saybrook Board of Education in the bylaws. 

Basically, the Board’s job is to make sure:

• Every student has an equal opportunity to receive a great education.

• The district puts enough money behind its educational programs.

• Students are provided with opportunities to interact with students and teachers from other racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.

• The district is following all the State of Connecticut statutes, regulations, and requirements for schools.

Guided by Connecticut General Statutes and the Town Charter, the Board of Education:

• Ensures that the district has the necessary staff and resources to efficiently administer the Town’s educational enterprise.

• Sets goals and objectives for the district in the form of a strategic plan and annually reviews progress toward meeting those goals and objectives.

• Hires a Superintendent of Schools and reviews the Superintendent’s performance annually.

• Considers and adopts an annual budget prepared by the Superintendent of Schools.

• Establishes, reviews, amends, and ensures the implementation of school district policies to align with state legislation, and monitors and evaluates various policies on an ongoing basis.

• Approves the number, duties, and salaries of employees and establishes policies for employment, evaluation, promotion, and dismissal of personnel.

• Provides for the proper maintenance of facilities and initiates and approves plans for school buildings.

• Considers any specific recommendations made by the Superintendent of Schools.

• Keeps the citizens of Old Saybrook informed of the purposes, values, conditions, and needs of public education in our town.

• Considers, revises, and adopts any changes in the curriculum upon recommendation of the superintendent of schools.

• Takes any other actions mandated by federal or state law.