The Board shall have duties as defined in Tennessee Code, including the following:
To employ a superintendent of schools;2
To elect, upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools, teachers who are eligible for tenure, fix salaries, and make written contracts with such tenured teachers;
To manage and control all public schools under its jurisdiction;
To purchase all supplies, furniture, fixtures, and material of every kind through the executive committee;
To visit the schools whenever in the judgment of the Board, such visits are necessary;
To dismiss tenured teachers, upon sufficient proof of improper conduct, inefficient service, neglect of duty, insubordination, or incompetence;
To suspend, dismiss or alternately place students when the progress or efficiency of the school makes it necessary;
To provide proper record books and suitable office and sufficient equipment for the superintendent of schools;
To require the superintendent of schools and the chairman of the Board to prepare a budget and when such budget has been approved by the Board, to submit it to the local funding body;
To have prepared a copy of the minutes of each meeting of the Board and to mail or transmit to each board member and the president of the local education association;
To adopt and enforce minimum standards and policies governing student attendance in compliance with state guidelines; and
To develop and implement an evaluation plan for all certificated employees and to submit the plan to the Commissioner of Education for approval.3
DISCRETIONARY POWERS4
The Board has discretionary powers as defined in Tennessee Code including the following:
To require school children and employees to submit to a physical examination when there is reason to believe a need exists;
To permit school buildings and school property to be used for public, community or recreational purposes;
To employ legal counsel to advise the Board;
To lease or sell buildings and property or the portions of buildings or property it determines are not being used or are not needed at present by the public school system;
To formulate general policies for the operation of the schools of the district;
To consolidate two or more schools whenever in its judgment efficiency would be improved;
To provide for the planning, expansion, improvement, construction, maintenance, use and disposition of the physical facilities of the school system, and
To help interpret the education program to the community by providing for the dissemination of school information necessary for creating a well-informed public.