AICD | Not-for-Profit Director Briefing: school governance

The structure of school boards varies considerably. Some are representative boards with defined positions for past students, parents, church leaders and appointed directors. Others may have boards with all external appointees.

The time requirements of a school board can be considerable. A quarter of board members spend between two and five days per month on their duties. Performing well as a school board member requires an understanding of governance and the relationship between the school's education and enrolment strategy, risks and the long term funding of buildings and services.

Additionally the Western Australian Government is giving state schools greater autonomy in decision making. The Independent Public Schools initiative requires schools in this program to establish boards, designed to provide opportunity for enhanced local governance, locally-tailored workforce and public accountability, transparency and performance.

This briefing will look at:
Managing the school’s reputation
Financial viability/management
Strategic direction in an ever-changing environment
Stakeholder engagement
Managing risk
Impact of technology
Performance expectations, evaluations and succession planning