Can Parents Attend School Board Meetings?

  • By: Brennan Ward
  • February 9, 2023
people listening to a presenter

Can parents attend school board meetings? Parents play an influential role in their children’s education, from making the home a suitable place for learning, helping with homework, and maybe even running for school board. But if a parent isn’t a public school board member, you may be wondering what their role should be when it comes to school board meetings.

This comprehensive resource covers everything from parents’ roles during school board meetings to the benefits of using a tech-enabled governance platform to streamline communication between the board and its constituents.

Can Parents Attend School Board Meetings?

Not only are parents allowed to attend school board meetings, but it’s an excellent idea to do so. As part of the educational process, parents are invested in what happens at school and want to be involved in decision-making. 

In addition to influencing student achievement, parents can help schools improve by:

  • Providing feedback on curriculum and instruction
  • Helping schools identify areas where they could use improvement
  • Serving as advocates for students who face challenges or disabilities
  • Supporting efforts to reduce discipline problems
  • Participating in parent-teacher conferences
  • Monitoring progress toward state standards
  • Assisting with fundraising
  • Working with administrators to develop policies and procedures
  • Being informed about issues affecting their child’s education

Why Parents Should Attend School Board Meetings

On top of helping schools in various capacities, as outlined above, there are more compelling reasons every parent should attend a school board meeting. Here are the most critical ones:

1. Accountability

As school board members, you owe parents and the local community an explanation of how your decisions affect their kids. Parents have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, so they can hold you accountable for spending wisely.

Moreover, parents who attend school board meetings become active participants in the democratic process. They can voice concerns and ask questions, which helps ensure that the board hears them and takes action accordingly.

2. Shared Responsibility for Child’s Education

Parents have a responsibility to provide support and guidance to their child’s teacher, but they also have a responsibility to monitor the work of the school administration. If they see something amiss, they can bring it up with the school board.

Attending regular school board meetings is one way parents can fulfill these responsibilities. It ensures they stay abreast of what’s happening at school and gives them a chance to influence the school district’s direction. 

3. Meet Other Community Members

Elementary, middle, or high school board meetings provide parents with an excellent opportunity to network with other parents and learn ways to better serve their children. Community engagement is also an indispensable part of any successful school district system. 

Parents can share ideas and discuss issues related to their children’s education. This provides them with valuable insight into the school district’s needs and allows them to offer suggestions for improving the quality of education. 

Bonus: Build Relationships With Administrators

School boards often include representatives from different departments within the school district. These people may include teachers, counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses, librarians, and others.

When parents attend school board meetings and build relationships with these individuals, they gain access to information about their child’s educational experience and receive advice on how to best help their child succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do Parents Get Involved During School Board Meetings?

Parents don’t just attend school board meetings to mark their physical presence. They do so because they want to ensure their voices are heard during important decisions affecting their children’s education. For instance, they may raise concerns about curriculum, teaching methods, student discipline, or anything else that affects their child’s learning. They can also ask questions about specific topics or make recommendations regarding changes to existing policies.

How Do Board Members Get Parents to Come to School Board Meetings?

To encourage parents to attend school board meetings, board members should send out letters or emails in advance. The invitation should explain why it’s important for parents to attend and provide details about the agenda and schedule. For instance, if the primary agenda of the meeting is to vote for new officials, the invitation should capture school board voting procedures so parents know what to expect.

School Board Effectiveness Starts with eScribe 

There are many ways for parents to get involved in their local school districts. By taking advantage of these opportunities,  parents gain a better understanding of their child’s school and its operations. And as a board member, you’ll be able to use this knowledge to improve your district’s performance.

Another way to improve school board meetings’ effectiveness is by using a cloud-based meeting software solution like eScribe. This powerful end-to-end meeting management solution allows you to streamline every aspect of your meetings, including scheduling, recording, reporting, voting, and more. It also provides you with an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to share documents, manage attendees, make public comments, and keep everyone informed.

The best part? eScribe pricing is unbelievably affordable and flexible according to the size of your organization. Our tiered pricing is excellent for organizations looking for a comprehensive meeting management solution without breaking the bank. We also have buying group offers suitable for smaller local governments or school boards/districts. 

eScribe helps organizations save on costs by automating most of the tasks associated with running effective school board meetings. So take advantage of this opportunity to improve your district’s efficiency and effectiveness. Use our ROI calculator to estimate the savings your school could make by implementing eScribe.