Wearing Two Hats: Board Service and School Support Organizations

Many school board members are also active in booster clubs, PTOs, alumni associations and other organizations that support their schools. But when does volunteer service begin to overlap with board responsibilities?

In this episode of Leading the Way, OSBA board consultants Teri Morgan and Quinn Maceyko discuss how board members can stay involved while maintaining strong governance. They explore common situations, the importance of public perception and best practices for avoiding governance challenges while continuing to support students and schools.

Whether you're considering a leadership role in a booster organization or simply want to better understand your responsibilities as a board member, this episode offers timely guidance for governing effectively.

For more resources, training and advocacy updates from the Ohio School Boards Association, visit ohioschoolboards.org.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

The following program is a presentation of the Ohio School Boards Association. Welcome to the Leading the Way podcast, where we bring you the voices shaping public education across Ohio. You're a school board member, but you're also a parent, a volunteer, and someone who wants to help your schools succeed. Maybe you're active in athletic boosters, maybe you serve on the PTO, maybe you're involved with the Alumni Association or the Music Boosters. Those organizations do incredible work for students in schools, but what happens when your role as a volunteer starts to overlap with your role as a board member? Welcome to Leading the Way, the podcast from the Ohio School Boards Association, where we discuss the issues that matter most to school leaders across Ohio. I'm Scott Gurfin, and today I'm joined by OSBAs Terry Morgan and Quinn Maseiko, who work directly with board members as consultants for OSBA. Thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

You know, this is one of those topics that uh probably affects nearly every school district in Ohio. Uh most board members ran for the board because they care deeply about their schools. Uh many were already involved in booster groups and and PTOs or other organizations before they were elected. Um so why should board members stop and think about serving in these organizations?

SPEAKER_02 1:24

Well, I think it goes back to the usual perception is reality. And the perception that you are involved in these organizations, but yet you're duly elected to serve all in your school district, all students, all community members, all constituents, that it gives off the idea that you might be lobbying for a personal pet project of the music boosters because you are the secretary. Or I volunteer a lot for the PTO and now I'm I'm leading this committee, and now I might it might seem that I'm gonna ask the superintendent to have special permission to be able to run an event when at times this is off limits to outside groups to utilize the school grounds. So in order to, you know, keep away from the fray of that perception, it's it's a good idea to realize of that your role as a board member is something to be prioritized over those kinds of volunteer roles that you can have in other support organizations.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

I think there's one more thing, too, that I've seen happen, particularly when they're a volunteer in the school building. And one of the things that, as humble as board members are, one of the things they have to realize is they never get to take their board hat off. And so going into the school as a volunteer, you're still a board member. And so having that easy access where you just walk in and show up as a volunteer gets a little difficult when you're also a board member. So they have to be very thoughtful about what's most important to them. Their role as a board member should allow them to do a lot more for students than just volunteering in a classroom.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

So I guess I'm just gonna ask the question is it appropriate for a board member to serve on these uh in a booster or or uh PTO? Is it is it appropriate?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Well, as stated in our uh book that we have, which is effective uh booster groups and organizations.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Terry has a copy here.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

So uh we can show that off later uh to make sure you see it. Um but uh within that there is some language that talks about there's nothing um legally prohibiting you to do that. And thank you to uh Jenny Harden for also providing this information to us as well from our legal services division, um, whether it's a board member or a school employee, but there are many opportunities for confusion over roles, uh, and it's best practice to avoid having uh public officials serve as uh boost on the booster groups board or as officers. Not saying that, you know, if the athletic boosters needs a volunteer to work in the concession stand or maybe the music boosters needs assistance in uh raising some funds to purchase new instruments, uh, that's uh quite all right to assist with those kinds of efforts. But you being the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer is really where those things get muddied up in the water.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

And I I think to add to that too is that you need to show that you're there for the entire district. And so just attending activities, a variety of activities, is better than just focusing in on one booster group, let alone the perception that because you are so dedicated to athletic boosters, that you might be more influential in the budgeting process for athletic boosters or athletic team needs over the entire district needs.

SPEAKER_01 5:01

So, how can board members then avoid creating that appearance of a conflict of interest in doing this when even if there is no actual conflict of interest, but perception is everything, as you know.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Right. I think one of the most important things is to be very cognizant of how your community views you as a board member. If they know that you're best friends with the football coach, that you are very active with the boosters and have been, that your son or daughter plays sports, then there might be a time that you'd want to abstain from a vote if they if it was really particular to the team that your child plays on, or, you know, uh as a new stadium versus a new classroom kind of decision. But if you don't abstain, then just use your words. Say, you know, I know everyone knows that I love our athletic teams, and I'm very dedicated to that booster group, and I'm gonna vote because I think this is the best decision, not because it's a particular favorite of mine.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Yeah. So uh how should then board members separate their responsibilities? You know, they're the district policymaker, and separate that from their role as, say, the advocate for the athletic boosters?

SPEAKER_02 6:23

That's a good question.

SPEAKER_00 6:25

And I think it goes back to what I was just talking about. That it's important to use your words to say why you're voting one way or another, or that you're abstaining. Um, it is the board's responsibility to annually by resolution recognize an official booster group.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:44

And so it's important that that time that you know say, I have been a member and an active member of this booster group, but I know how much they do for the district. And so I think it's something that we should support.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

And I will say that if you're an OSBA policy client, that policy can be found in Section K, letters KMA, support organizations as the title, and it talks about the process on how that should go forth with that annual recognition. I think from another side of the coin is that when you're coming into board service, depending on um how your district operates and and and what your process is when it comes to codes of ethics uh and conflicts of interest and such, that if there is a disclosure form that you've already have in practice, that, you know, I just got elected, I'm coming in, I've been treasurer for athletic boosters, I've been uh, you know, secretary for the Lung Lie Association, and that's all written down, uh, then that's something that gives an opportunity for your board's legal counsel to review to say, are there some issues, not only governance perception-wise on this side, but there are already ethical question issues when it comes to being a part of those things.

SPEAKER_01 7:59

Yeah, and I think you guys have touched on this this question I was gonna ask, and and maybe if you want to elaborate more, but some of the best practices uh for board members who want to stay involved while maintaining strong governance. And I think, Terry, you to you talked about it just being upfront with your words.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

Um But I'll tell you, there's another really important area, and we talk about this so much about staying in your own line. The superintendent is responsible for the activities of the booster club and responsible for all the employees that might be involved with that booster club. And so the board member wants to be very careful about not taking away the authority of the superintendent by stepping into a situation. If there's an issue between the booster club and the superintendent, it needs to be mediated between those two parties.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

And that that was a question is that I had you answered it. Is what challenges can arise if a booster organization disagrees with the superintendent or other administration on an issue?

SPEAKER_00 9:02

That's the best practice is to let that resolve and be there for support for your superintendent. That's your employee, and the superintendent then is running the district. You are just governing the district.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

And as a board member, you have to adhere to the policies that you approve and are in your policy manual. So you can't um circumvent those just because I love being part of this support organization for the school district.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

So it sounds like, just to recap, what you guys are telling me is if you it's it's good to be involved in these organizations, but just remember to stay in your lane or know your lane when you're a member of the booster group, right?

SPEAKER_00 9:43

And spread your wealth. I mean, go to the the school play as well as the school football teams games. Right.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

And so Terry, oh sorry, Quinn. No, you're good. Um I think what you have to remember is that as a school board member, that service should be priority number one over supporting these other organizations because there's only so much time, and like Terry said, you got to spread the wealth. You know, that's your limited resources, you know, time is definitely one of them. That the you were elected to serve in this role, that should be priority number one to fulfill your legal responsibilities that you have as being a school board member.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Yeah. And Terry, I wanted you to hold up because I don't think we got that that shot of the book. Effective uh booster groups and support organizations. And like you said, this this publication is is available and it's providing all a lot of guidance, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:35

And it's so good. And it actually has another best practice. If I have one quick second, to say the by um annually approving the booster group by resolution, it really creates better accountability and and allows you to make sure that if that booster group isn't following the policies, you have an avenue for correcting that. But more importantly, it allows the booster group to use the school logo, the school mascot, the school mission statement. So again, it ties the district together.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

Uh anything else before I let you two go? I don't think so. Well, Terry Quinn, thanks for being here. I know uh I think the takeaway is that uh, you know, serving on your school or serving your school, I guess, is is commendable. Uh, and but serving effectively as a board member uh that sometimes means understanding where the governance responsibilities begin and where other volunteer roles should end.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

Yes. And I think when you know when you're transitioning in that time, especially we just had elections last year, you have those about seven, eight weeks where you're following the election. I know I'm gonna be assuming this role as a school board, but that's a time for transition for if you are in one of those officer roles that let's think about it, let's talk about with the superintendent, other maybe the board president or so to say, is it time for me to wind down my role out here and these other organizations as I come and be on the board of education?

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Terry and Quinn, thanks again. And thank you for listening and watching the Leading the Way podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe uh wherever you get your podcasts, and we will see you on the next episode.