A school board is a governmental body, so it can take action only by a majority vote at a legally called public meeting. The individual board member's major responsibility to to study, evaluate, and, after due consideration, vote in the best interest of all students at such a meeting. Board members determine needs with their board annually by reviewing the Framework for School Board Development, a document that outlines the tasks an effective board performs in its governing capacity. Continuing education courses that address these needs are available through a variety of sources. Every school district has, by policy, selected one of these options.
Terms of office vary depending on the legal characteristics of the district.
Generally, school board members serve three-year staggered terms so that the entire board is never up for election at the same time. School boars must meet in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and make public records available pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and Texas Open Records Act. Citizens are welcome at all school board meetings, except on a few legally specified circumstances calling for closed meetings. Many school boards allow citizen participation and have policies communicating how and when citizens contribute their input. Generally, boards set aside 20 to 30 minutes for public participation and limit each speaker to five minutes.