Principal

The Principal shall serve as the chief administrator for the day-to-day operations of the Academy, as well as such other services and duties as shall be assigned by the Academy Board. As the administrative leader of the Academy, the Principal is accountable to the Board for the successful day-to-day operations of the school. The Principal provides daily leadership for the Academy staff and the Academy committees, and provides parents/stakeholders with information and addresses their daily concerns. Additionally, the Principal's daily operational responsibilities include maintaining the Academy facility/grounds to ensure a safe environment that is conducive to learning, interpreting and implementing Academy policy, acting as the final arbitrator regarding student discipline, conducting teacher evaluations, and facilitating faculty meetings and in-service.

General Powers of the Board

The business and affairs of the Academy shall be managed by its Board of Directors, except as otherwise provided by law, the Articles of Incorporation or the Academy's Bylaws. The Board may by written contract delegate, in whole or in part, to a professional management organization or person such of its duties, responsibilities, functions, and powers as are properly delegable. However, the Board shall not delegate its responsibility and ultimate accountability for the Academy's operations and performance.

General Responsibilities

The Board shall be responsible for the governance of the school, development of positive community relations, preservation of the Academy's educational philosophy, mission statement, and special emphasis, and shall be accountable and hold others accountable to the Academy's charter.

Board Member Qualifications

• Be in agreement with the mission, educational philosophy, discipline policy and administrative structure of the Academy and read the Academy's chartering documents.
• Be familiar with every aspect of the Academy's curriculum and understand the scope of the reading program.
• Attend at least two Parent/Teacher Organization meetings a year to show support and encouragement for this vital aspect of the school. The Academy's board members will not serve on the PTO board.
• Prior board experience is helpful but not necessary. However, a high level of professionalism and a strong desire for the success of the school is expected. The motivation for serving on the board should be to help guarantee the educational success of students.
• The directors will conduct an annual self-evaluation. The directors will discuss the necessary needs of improvement and set goals for the next year.
• All directors are required to attend a yearly board conference where the goals of the board are defined, the board's self-evaluation is discussed and critiqued, outside speakers present information pertaining to effective board leadership, and other pertinent topics are discussed.
• The directors will annually attend a "Board Visit Day" at the school. During this time, directors will visit classrooms, talk with the staff and become familiar with current school concerns.
• Directors should fulfill their responsibilities on the board, board committees or subcommittees to their fullest capability.
• All directors are expected to be the best public relations representatives the school has.
• Each director elected to their positions should have some prior background and experience pertaining to that position.

Board Member Elections

Academy Board elections shall begin during the first week in May of the year in which a term or terms have expired. Elections shall extend for a ten-day period beginning on the Wednesday of the first full week of May, until the Friday of the following week. During this election period, the hours for voting shall be from the beginning of the school day until one half hour after the school day has ended. There shall be no less than two days in which the hours provided for voting shall extend until 7:00 p.m. If the first or last day designated for voting falls on a legal holiday, then the election period will begin or end on the following business day.

Governing Body

Gateway Preparatory Academy will be governed by a board of directors (the "Academy Board"). The number of directors of the Academy Board shall be specified from time to time by resolution, but shall not be less than three (5). The number of directors when the Academy opens shall be seven (7). See Academy Bylaws, 3.2(a).

Academy Board Membership

New Board member shall normally consist of voting members who have been elected by the parents of the children enrolled at the Academy. All Board members must sign a Board Member Code of Conduct agreement prior to serving. Once the Academy is open, only one Academy family member may serve on the Board at any given time. No Board member may receive remuneration for Board service. No employee of the Academy may serve as a voting Board member.