How our school board makes a difference

When talking to voters, especially ones who don't have kids currently attending our schools, many don't know how school board impacts them.

Downingtown Area School Board is the largest school district in Chester County, educating almost 14,000 students each year. We are also one of the County's largest employers. The decisions made at the school board level, not only impact the quality of education our students receive, but impacts the eight townships within the district.

A school board’s primary role is governing an effective organization to support students in their journey to the highest levels of achievement and to engage the community. We are committed to providing every student the opportunity to grow, thrive, and attain the skills and education they need to become well-rounded adults for the next steps in their lives no matter what that may be.

As a member of the DASD school board we are obligated to lead responsibly, act ethically, plan thoughtfully, evaluate continuously, communicate clearly, advocate earnestly, and govern effectively (Policy 011). The major functions of a board are policy development, budget development, curriculum development, advocating for public schools, planning for facilities, and conducting public meetings. Some key responsibilities of the board are to ask questions, set timelines for answers, communicate information to the community about the district and the progress being made to achieve our goals, as well as ensure fiscal responsibility for our tax payers.

A school board must work as a team with each other and with the superintendent of the district. The Downingtown Area School District Mission is ”... to educate all students to meet the challenges of a global society by providing an individually responsive learning environment characterized by outstanding academic and personal achievements in partnership with family, students, and community.” The district calls our students to be self-directed, reflective learners who use data to foster learning and growth, exhibit critical thinking and problem solving skills, act in a respectable manner, be innovators, collaborate with peers and communicate efficiency and effectively, be conscientious and informed consumers, who are fiscally aware, and to demonstrate an appreciation of an economically and culturally diverse community. It is important that the values of the board align with the values, vision, mission, and goals of the district and of the community at large. Political beliefs should not be part of a school board, as they will impact and interrupt the main goal of ensuring all of our students achieve their highest potential.

School boards are important because we are advocates for students and their parents and trusted to engineer a better future for our community.