BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Spring Knolls is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board is made up of parents of current students, and are elected by the parent body. The Board consists of the officers—President(s), Vice-President (if position is filled), Secretary, Treasurer, and committee chairpersons. The Board is charged with the bylaws of Spring Knolls with running all aspects of the school. Meetings are held on a monthly basis. All Spring Knolls members are welcome to attend the Board meetings.

Board Member Responsibilities

• Be familiar with and support the organization’s mission, bylaws, strategic plan and annual goals.

• Attend monthly Board meetings (or identify alternate to attend on your behalf) and be prepared to participate.

• Prepare for Board meetings, when necessary; this includes submission of monthly committee reports.

• Make sound, informed decisions, acting in good faith and in the best interest of the organization.

• Fulfill specific position responsibilities of Board officer and/or committee chairperson.

Board Officer Responsibilities

The officers shall have the following duties, which may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors

President

The Board President(s) has the authority to supervise all of the affairs of the school and presides at all meetings of the members of the Board of Directors. The responsibilities of the President(s) include the following:

• Acts with the Director and Executive Committee to ensure smooth running of the school.

• Chairs parent meetings and presides at all meetings of the members, the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and the Personnel Committee.

• Introduces changes or amendments to policies and procedures to be voted on by the Board or the parent body.

Board Secretary

The Board Secretary has the following responsibilities:

• Takes notes at all Board and parent meetings.
• Keeps correct typewritten (keyed) minutes and distributes to Board members for approval prior to each Board meeting.
• Posts Board meeting minutes on Bloomz within 72 hours of Board meeting.
• Updates and revises the Parent Handbook each year with input and assistance from the President and Director.
• Acting archivist: electronic copies of all Board meeting notes from 2006-present, as well as a dozen boxes or so of historical materials, mainly financial.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the President and Board of Directors

School Treasurer

The school Treasurer has the following responsibilities:

• Manages the funds and securities of the school.
• Maintains accurate records of the school’s finances.
• Builds budget for the following school year, and allocates appropriate expenditures for events, facilities, and other miscellaneous expenses.
• At any time, provides the Board with a report on the condition of the school’s finances.
• Submits a full financial report at the spring parent meeting.

Committee Chair Responsibilities

• Represents committee at various school meetings (e.g., Board and parent meetings).
• Leads meetings with committee members as necessary.
• Works with committee to set goals that support the school’s strategic plan and current priorities.
• Oversees committee members and delegates tasks.
• Facilitates committee activities to meet established deadlines and reports setbacks or red flags as they arise.
• Identifies possible setbacks or barriers to committee operations.
• Maintains committee chair toolkit.
• Understands and manages committee budgets and participates in the school's annual budget-planning process.

Committee Descriptions

Each committee has a limited number of openings and each family is required to volunteer on one of the following committees:

Executive Committee

The President(s), Treasurer, and two other Board members elected by the Board, shall serve as an Executive Committee and may take action on behalf of the full Board pending a meeting of the Board. The Director may also attend Executive Committee meetings without vote. All actions of the Executive Committee are subject to ratification or rescission by majority vote of the Board of Directors at any meeting at which a quorum is present.

Facilities Committee

The Facilities & Operations Committee assists in keeping the school, playground, and grounds safe and in good condition and working order. The Committee coordinates toy repair at the request of individual teachers, assembly of classroom equipment at request of individual teachers, and the purchase of large-ticket items associated with the school facilities. The Committee also manages all school clean-ups as well as mulching the playground. The Chair assists the school when it is time to renegotiate the building lease.

Fundraising Committee

The Fundraising Committee organizes various fundraising activities for Spring Knolls and solicits participation (including donations) from parents. The Fundraising Committee is given an annual fundraising goal, which has been established by the Board of Directors.

Grants Sub-committee

This group is a sub-committee within the Fundraising Committee and identifies grant opportunities for Spring Knolls. Working with the Director, the grants subcommittee will identify priorities for the school year that might benefit from a grant (e.g. new playground equipment or new arts programming) and may draft or edit grant applications for submission.

Marketing Committee

The purpose of the marketing committee is to create awareness of our school and programs in order to keep our enrollment full. We achieve this through (a) Events—participating in and marketing relevant community and school events including Festivals, Farmer’s Markets, and Preschool Fairs; b) Advertising—publications, community listservs, fairs, and sponsored posts on social media; (c) Branding—Maintain brand integrity by managing logo, stationery, flyers, brochure, banners, signage, etc.

Social Media and Webmaster Committee

The Social Media and Webmaster Committee will help develop strategies for followers, oversee social campaigns, review analytics and assist with technical support of the school’s social media platforms. Additionally, this committee will help design, maintain and manage an aesthetically and easy to navigate website. This committee works closely with the marketing committee.

Admissions Committee

The Admissions Committee provides application materials for interested families and coordinates the annual open house and individual visits/tours of the school. The Admissions Committee answers email and phone inquiries about the school throughout the year. In coordination with the Director, the committee manages the acceptance of new families to the school as well as the re-enrollment process for returning Spring Knolls families. The committee is responsible for sending out registration materials and maintaining complete application files—important for the school’s licensing and the students’ safety and wellness.

Events Committee

The key responsibility of the Events Committee is to support school-wide events that promote a sense of community and camaraderie amongst member families. The committee is composed of a committee chair and room parents for each class who assist teachers and the school with field trips, class parties and special events.

Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee consists of the Board’s President, the school’s Director, and two other Board members. The Committee is responsible for (a) screening, interviewing, and recommending to the Board of Directors candidates to fill staff positions; (b) making recommendations to the Board regarding ongoing personnel management issues, including termination of staff; and (d) acting as liaison between the staff and the Board with regard to personnel policies and practices.

Strategic Planning Committee

The Strategic Planning Committee’s mission is to look at the school’s overall mission and goals and align our activities, procedures, and business plan with the long-term vision for the school and its programs. Strategic Planning conducts the parent survey in the fall and deals with any ad-hoc issue that has large ranging implications such as additional services or a change in existing ones. Examples could be: Should we have an afternoon program? Does a change in our license make sense?