Basic Resources for School Board Members

This page includes a compilation of governance, legal, policy, advocacy and other resources intended to help new school board members get started. For more information on any of these topics, please visit the related department website pages. Please contact the WASB with any questions.

General Resources —

Basic Resources Pre-Recorded WEBINARS —

Note: please be patient as webinars may take some time to download depending on your internet connection.
(May not be compatible with Google Chrome on WIndows / Firefox, Safari on Mac)
Taking Office as a School Board Member

An Introduction to Wisconsin School Law

An Overview of Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law

School Board Meetings

The Public Records Obligations of Individual Board Members

School Board Member Conflicts of Interest

Governance —

Taking Office —

Spring 1993 WASB Legal Note, Taking office as a school board member
March 2007 WASB Legal Comment The duties and responsibilities of school board officers

Officers —

Meetings and Voting —

April 2007 WASB Legal Comment, Board member voting
May 2009 WASB Legal Comment, Minutes of school board meetings
Article on “Rules of Order” from the September 2011 issue of Wisconsin School News
- Dec. 1992, WASB Legal Comment, On second thought: Reconsideration and rescission of school board action (part 1)
- Jan. 1993, WASB Legal Comment, On second thought: Reconsideration and rescission of school board action (part 2)

Open Meetings Law —

WASB Open Meetings Law Brochure
September 2004, WASB Legal Comment, Compliance with Wisconsin 's open meetings law (Part 1)
October 2004, WASB Legal Comment, Compliance with Wisconsin 's open meetings law (Part 2)
Wisconsin Attorney General’s Open Meetings Compliance Guide (2010)

Public Records —

Summer 2010 Legal Note, School board member and employee use of social networking sites
December 2010 WASB Legal Comment, Electronic communications records and the public records law
September 2003, WASB Legal Comment, Recent changes to the public records law (Part 1)
October 2003, WASB Legal Comment, Recent changes to the public records law (Part 2)
September 1982, WASB Legal Comment, Wisconsin's new public records law (Part 1)
October 1982, WASB Legal Comment, Wisconsin's new public records law (Part 2)
Wisconsin Attorney General’s Public Records Compliance Guide (2012)

Conflicts of Interest / Ethics —

July 2003, WASB Legal Comment, Board member conflicts and incompatibility of offices
November 2004, WASB Legal Comment, Spousal conflicts of interest
May 1998, WASB Legal Comment, School board member conflict of interest
Oct.-Dec. 1991, WASB Legal Note, The new code of ethics for public officials and employees

Employment —

Family and Medical Leave Act: “New Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations, Legal Notes, Winter 2008
Fair Labor Standards Act: “Selected Issues Regarding Wage and Hour Laws,” Legal Comment, 3/11
Americans with Disabilities Act: “Implementing the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008,” Legal Notes, Summer 2011.
Put it in Black and White - Employee handbooks can help set clear expectations for staff.

Labor Law and Human Resources —

Finance —

School Finance 101

Advocacy & Government Relations —

School Board Policies —

The May 2006 issue of The FOCUS, Focusing Policymaking on Student Achievement
November 2007 WASB Legal Comment The legal significance of school board policies
Board Policy vs. Administrative Rules
Monitoring/Overseeing Policies
WASB Policy Manual Checklist