School Bells: Pulaski School Board Report of Progress

Editor’s Note -- Do you have a question on board operations? Email and we may use it for a future School Bells.

All school boards have several common key responsibilities.

Four of the most important are:

  1.  Set the vision for the district
  2.  Set policies for the district
  3.  Oversee financial matters for the district
  4.  Advocate for the district (including students and employees)

What exactly is the Pulaski School Board doing to fulfill these roles? The list below outlines each of four areas and shares more detail about what those four roles mean, the specific priority items that we’ve been focusing on within each of those four roles, and the progress we’ve made.

School board role: Set the vision for the district

Overarching objective: Oversee the district’s long- term strategic plan that ensures a focus on top priorities for the future, including items like student achievement, safety, and continuous alignment with Pulaski’s ‘community’ focus

Top priorities

  1. Ensure there is a contemporary, up- to-date and forward-looking strategic plan;
  2. Ensure the district’s vision and mission statements, along the top focus items, are aligned with the strategic plan; and
  3. Ensure the superintendent and her administrative team have the resources and ability to execute on the strategic plan.

Progress: The district’s strategic plan and top priorities are revisited at least annually, with a number of board meetings, each year, focused on the district’s key initiatives. This is important, ongoing work; a link to the district’s strategic plan along with our mission statement and related documents is available here: / superintendent/strategic-plan

School board role: Set district policy

Overarching objective: Ensure policies are in place so the administrative team can successfully manage the district in a consistent and equitable fashion

Top priorities

Ensure policies are up to date and are reviewed as appropriate


  1.  An ongoing review of policies has been taking place for the last few years, where virtually every board meeting has a review of policies that have been updated and improved
  2. Additionally, new policies and administrative rules are regularly introduced

School board role: Oversee financial matters for the district

Overarching objective: Ensure the district is financially sound, balancing both short-term and long- term needs while directing financial resources to the top priority items that support the strategic direction of the Pulaski School District

Top priorities: Ensure the annual budget process is thorough, transparent, and financially sound

Ensure there is a long-term focus on financial adequacy, including maintaining an appropriate fund balance


  1.  Every month there is a review of the current financial situation, budget progress for the current year, along with forward looking projections
  2.  The board is actively involved, partnering with the administrative team in a monthly budget assessment and management review process

School board role: Advocate for the district (including students and employees)

Overarching objective: To advocate for students and teachers, especially on a local and state basis.

Top priorities:

  1. Ensure transparency and awareness regarding district and school related issues taking place in Madison
  2. As appropriate, share Pulaski School District’s “voice” in those discussions


  1. Pulaski Board members’ are actively involved in the WI Association School Board (WASB) legislative and advocacy programs, including frequent meetings and participation in either Milwaukee or Madison regarding key issues.
  2. Locally, the school board continues to advocate for items such as safety (i.e., Hwy 29 overpasses), and funding, as appropriate

-- PCSD Board of Education