The Board of Education is a representative body elected by the registered voters of the Union R-XI School District of Franklin County. It is the purpose and the role of the Board of Education to exercise general supervision over the schools of the district, and to ensure that the schools are maintained as provided by the state statutes, the rules and regulations of the Missouri State Board of Education and/or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the policies, rules and regulations of the school district. In addition, the Board is accountable to the electorate, and shall be responsive to the educational needs and the imposed financial constraints of the district. In conducting its various functions as the legislative and policy-making authority for the district, the Board recognizes the following general responsibilities as paramount:

►          Legislative and Policy Making – The Board is responsible for the development of policies, rules and regulations to serve as guidelines for the general management and administrative actions of the district. The establishment of the goals and objectives of the school district and the methods of financial support needed to reach those goals and objectives are a part of the policy-making function of the Board of Education.

►          Executive – The Board shall employ a superintendent to serve as the chief executive officer of the district. The Board shall delegate, in writing to the superintendent, the executive and administrative duties and responsibilities necessary for carrying out its policies, and shall hold the superintendent accountable.

►          Appraisal – The Board is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of its policies and their implementation. The Board shall hold the superintendent responsible for furnishing complete information necessary for the Board's evaluation of the district's programs.

►          Provision of Financial Resources – The Board is responsible for the adoption of the annual budget, which will provide financial basis for personnel, facilities, materials and equipment to enable the district to carry out its educational program.

►          Staffing and Appraisal – The Board is responsible for employing the professional and support staff necessary for carrying out the district's instructional program. The Board is also responsible for establishing salary schedules, terms of employment, and other personnel policies districtwide, and for the regular evaluation of its staff.

►          Public Relations – The Board is responsible for providing adequate and direct means for keeping the district patrons informed about the schools, and for keeping itself and the school staff informed about the needs and wishes of the public.

►          Educational Planning and Evaluation – The Board is responsible for establishing educational goals which will guide both the Board and the staff in working together toward the continued improvement of the educational programs in the district. It is responsible for providing for an ongoing evaluation of the school program as measured through the goals and objectives set forth by the Union R-XI School District Board of Education and by the Missouri State Board of Education.

►          Judicial – The Board is responsible for acting as a court of appeals for the professional and support staff members, students, and the district patrons when issues involve Board policies and their fair implementation.

The Board of Education shall control all aspects of the operations of the district within the limits of the law. However, the Board will make its members, the district professional and support staff, and the district patrons aware that the Board has authority to take official action only when it is acting as a whole. The Board shall be the final authority over policies, rules, regulations and procedures. No section of the policies, rules, regulations and procedures may be construed to limit the statutory powers of the Board to exercise its own prudent judgment.

 The Board of Education regularly meets once a month on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Meetings are open to the public and held at 6:30 p.m. at the Union R-XI Administration Office, 21 Progress Parkway, Union, MO 63084.

The board of education is a legally constituted body engaged in the transaction of regular school district business, based on a written agenda, at all meetings. Board meetings are not open forum discussions, and visitors may not interrupt, question or disrupt the regular conduct of the meeting in any way.

In order to enhance communications with the community, while still preserving an orderly atmosphere for conducting regular business, visitors may participate in open meetings of the board of education during the time set aside for public comment under the following guidelines:
 

1. No individual will be permitted to speak more than three minutes.
    

2. Each comment period will be no more than 30 minutes.
    

3. The board may, by a majority vote, shorten or extend the applicable time limits.
    

4. The board president or designee will terminate a speaker's privilege if the speaker becomes abusive or threatening.
    

5. If the speaker starts to speak about an issue that is personnel related, the board president will stop the speaker and request the issue be brought to executive session if it relates to a current Board meeting agenda item.
    

6. If a personnel issue that is a part of the current board meeting agenda is moved to executive session, all interested parties will be allowed into executive session.
    

7. If there are any questions or inquiries made by the speaker during the public comment section, the Board is serving in a "listen-only" mode.
    

8. A time for public comment will be designated on the agenda near the beginning of the meeting. In addition to the rules listed above, speakers may only address items on the agenda approved by the board during this session.
    

9. Speakers who attempt to discuss items not included on the agenda will not be allowed to speak during the public comment part of the board meeting.
    

10. If a speaker wishes to speak to the board at the time a particular item on the agenda is addressed by the board, he or she will be allowed to do so. If the speaker exercises this option, he or she forfeits the opportunity to speak during the public comment portion of the agenda.