Board Information

The OMCS Board of Directors is a non-profit board of parents and community members established to oversee the implementation of the school charter as approved by the Utah State Office of Education.

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Policy Governance

The Oquirrh Mountain Charter School Board has adopted the Policy Governance Model. The Policy Governance principles include governing the school by focusing on results or “Ends” that are to be accomplished by the Executive Director of the School. By governing under this model, the Board avoids micro-managing the work and activities of the school. Instead, the Board delegates authority to the Executive Director to accomplish the Ends of the school. The Executive Director is held accountable for implementing the school’s vision and achieving the Ends by monitoring results of both the Executive Director and the school. Accountability is measured using objective data, progress reports, and focused discussions with the Executive Director, staff and the community about goals, standards, and progress.

To review the OMCS Board Governance Policies, follow the links below:
Ends Policies »
Executive Limitations Policies »
Board-Management Delegations Policies »
Governance Process Policies »

To understand the basics of Policy Governance, please view the following Policy Governance Primer:

Policy Governance Primer »

The following Q&A is offered to help the community better understand Policy Governance, its value, and what it means for student achievement at OMCS.

What is Policy Governance

Policy Governance is a proven model of board governance that focuses the Board’s work on policy decisions and on monitoring organizational performance. Operational issues fall under the authority that is delegated to the Executive Director by the Board. The policy framework in Policy Governance is seen as a comprehensive, carefully crafted way for a board to clarify all expectations, ends, and values to the Executive Director and the community.

What are the Policy Categories?

Ends – The benefits the organization is to produce, for which people, and at what cost. Ends are developed based on the Board’s knowledge of and interaction with the owners – those to whom the Board is morally accountable.

Executive Limitations – The boundaries of prudence and ethics within which the Board allows the Executive Director to make reasonable decisions about “Means” (the way things get done).

Board-Management Delegation – The manner in which the Board delegates authority to the Executive Director and holds him/her accountable for achieving ends.

Governance Process – The manner in which the Board itself operates, including its philosophy, accountability, discipline, and its own job.

What are the benefits of Policy Governance?

-   Model for strategic leadership to the organization—the board's key responsibility—by clearly defining, on behalf of the owners, what human needs are to be met, for whom, and at what worth.
-   Distinguishes clearly between Ends (results) and Means (ways of doing things).
-   Establish clarity between the roles of board and management.
-   Unleashes the creativity of management while holding management rigorously accountable for delegated areas.
-   Board involvement in appropriate decisions without "meddling" or "rubber stamping".
-   Set parameters for acceptable organizational performance by establishing broad policies in four logical categories that make intuitive sense.

Why did the Board choose this governance approach?

To ensure proper governance takes place now and in the future as Board member terms expire. With the model in place, the Board 1) can continually delegate the achievement of the Ends to the Executive Director; 2) be assured that Ends (results) are being monitored; and 3) be assured the process of monitoring does not exceed the Board's boundaries of prudence and ethics. This assurance is based, not on trust, but on a carefully structured monitoring process. It clearly defines the Board’s job and makes clear when a Board member is abusing his/her authority.

What does Policy Governance mean to the Executive Director?

The Executive Director is empowered to adopt any reasonable interpretation of the policies and determine the Means to achieve the desired results of the school. Simply put, there is more than one reasonable way to accomplish Ends. As long as the Executive Director chooses a reasonable course that achieves the expected results and adheres to the policy, he/she will have the support of the Board. Under this model, the Board monitors the reasonable interpretation and adherence to policy as well as outcomes and results; not the means.

The Executive Director is accountable for ensuring the entire organization is meeting the expectations of the owners. The skills required under Policy Governance are associated with accountability rather than responsibility. For example, grant writing, building maintenance, managing, and accounting are not the focus. The focus is executive job design, results, leadership, strategic organization, creating a culture of accountability for the school community (staff, students, parents), and setting a climate of creative achievements. The job of the Executive Director is to do whatever it takes to ensure an acceptable amount, type, and targeting of benefits in prudent and ethical ways to achieve the Ends. To shoulder this much accountability, a strong Executive Director is needed or the school will fall short of the Ends.

What does Policy Governance mean to the community?

The Board becomes more of a keeper of vision than a "reviewer" of school operations and activities. Board meetings will change as more time is spent monitoring progress in terms of how well the Executive Director is doing in accomplishing the Ends. Under Policy Governance the community, through the Executive Director, has a voice in school direction before recommendations or changes are presented to the Board. The Board is better equipped to ensure that the Executive Director followed good processes to obtain community feedback and buy-in with the operations of the school.

What does Policy Governance mean for staff?

Under Policy Governance, the Board expresses in broad written policy the Ends for the school. The Executive Director and staff then reasonably interpret the Policies to determine the Means of how to accomplish the Ends. Policy Governance enables the staff to work with the support of the Board, and the knowledge that the Executive Director will evaluate the staff for their ability to produce Ends against clearly stated Means without violating Board values and policies. This approach will enhance the Executive Director’s and staff’s creativity, accountability, and success.

Under the model, the Executive Director is the individual accountable for school staffing and personnel management. Monitoring will be in place to ensure that staff are recognized for their contribution to the success of the school and also that they are not unjustly let go or discriminated against for issues such as personality differences and non-disruptive expression of dissent.

What does Policy Governance mean for the OMCS Board of Directors?

The Board is accountable for governance, not operational issues, which belong to the Executive Director. Except for a few unique functions of the Board, almost all organizational activities are performed by the Executive Director and staff. The sheer volume of staff activity, student activity, and parent complaints or concerns could not be effectively addressed by the volunteer, part-time Board. Policy Governance provides the Board a clear framework to address such issues conceptually as a whole and officially only with the Executive Director. The Board has only one employee; the Executive Director. As the Board’s bridge to the staff, the Executive Director has a role more distinct than merely lead staff member. The Executive Director is empowered to manage the intricacies of curriculum and student needs as well as the short-term focus of staff management. This leaves the Board free to focus on the holistic, long-term vision of the school.