Introduction
BoardOnTrack recommends that each board committee has members with certain skills and experiences. The list below indicates the skills and experience we recommend. Items that have an asterisk (*) are skills or experiences we believe are absolutely necessary for that committee; items without an asterisk are "nice to have" or the need for them is dependent on each school's particular situation. Please note that in most situations, BoardOnTrack recommends four standing committees (Governance, Finance, Development, and Academic Excellence). In addition, most boards need task forces for a CEO Evaluation and Support, Facilities, and Human Resources/Personnel.
Skills/Expertise Analysis
Complete the chart below for your board. When considering where your board will choose to add skills or expertise, make sure to keep in mind the term limits of current trustees. Succession planning to fill key skills well in advance of needs is one of the most important things a board can do.
Non-Board Committee Members are committee members who do not serve on the board. Many schools have found it is helpful to have non-board members serving on committees to round out the skills they need, spread out the workload, and provide a pipeline for future board members.
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Current Board Members |
Current Non-Board Committee Members |
Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2013–14 |
Board Members to Add in 2013–14 |
Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2014–15 |
Board Members to Add in 2014–15 |
Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2015–16 |
Board Members to Add in |
Finance |
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CFO* |
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Accounting* |
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Financial policies and controls* |
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Investing |
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Governance |
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Legal* |
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Prior Governance Experience* |
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Strength in cultivating new trustees |
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Academic Excellence |
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Strong analytical skills* |
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Experience managing for results |
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Note: Members of the Academic Excellence Committee need not have a deep background in education. The role of the committee is to monitor results and ask the CEO smart questions that help them to think through their data and their responses to the data. Over time, The High Bar has found that board members who have strong analytical skills and are dedicated to the mission often make the best Academic Excellence Committee members, regardless of limited background in education.
Skills/Expertise Analysis
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Current Board Members |
Current Non-Board Committee Members |
Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2013–14 |
Board Members to Add in 2013–14 |
Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2014–15 |
Board Members to Add in 2014–15 |
Non-Board Committee Members to Add in 2015–16 |
Board Members to Add in |
Development |
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Individual donor cultivation experience* |
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PR and Marketing* |
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Event planning |
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Facilities |
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Construction/ project management* |
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Real estate finance* |
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Real estate law |
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Total number of board members: |
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BoardOnTrack recommends that: (1) Each committee be chaired by a full board member (2) a board have enough members to have 2–3 board members on each committee (3) trustees only serve on one committee (4) the Chair should not serve on a committee. For most boards, this requires between 11 and 13 board members.
Demographic Analysis
In addition to having the key skills and experiences, high performing boards generally have previous governance experience, are diverse in terms of age and ethnicity, and have members who live in the city/community that the school serves. Use this information to inform your plans for board expansion.
Name |
Previous Board Experience |
Total Number of Boards Served |
Age |
Ethnicity |
Live in same city as school |
Complete Board Service in 2013–14 |
Complete Board Service in 2014–15 |
Complete Board Service in 2015–16 |
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Qualities Analysis
In addition to having the key skills and experiences, high performing boards outline key qualities they are looking for in trustees. Below collect data on your current board. Then, track which board members will complete their terms in the coming three years. Use this information to inform your plans for board expansion.
Name |
Excel at Group Process |
Startup Temperament |
Problem Solving Skills |
Other You Want to Add |
Other You Want to Add |
Complete Board Service in 2013–14 |
Complete Board Service in 2014–15 |
Complete Board Service in 2015–16 |
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Updated