Relentlessly Reviving School Boards

A superintendent’s efforts to move a faltering governance system in order to see breakthrough moments

In-house fighting, mismanaging money and indecision are common issues afflicting school boards nationwide. This dysfunction often drives superintendents to end their tenures prematurely and seek new jobs, leading to leadership turnover that creates uncertainty in schools and unstable student outcomes.

In today’s K-12 school systems, it’s adult problems that frequently impact student achievement. It’s easy to blame school board members for failing to collaborate, to reach consensus and to make decisions that are in students’ best interests. But it’s not just the individual member’s fault.

While school board members mostly are elected officials and should be accountable to members of the school community, most aren’t career politicians or directors of large organizations where they might have governance experiences. They often lack the comprehensive skills or political savvy to navigate dynamics seen in other public servants — which isn’t necessarily a negative.

After working with boards of education in Toronto, Vermont and Missouri, I’ve found that most school board members are well-meaning parents or community members who genuinely want to improve local education. Despite good intentions, their lack of experience often causes the challenges we see in school systems. Unlike other governing bodies, there’s no equivalent preparation for the realities of a school board member’s role.

Reclaiming Lost Glory

When I arrived at Hickman Mills C-1 School District, a diverse community about 10 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City, Mo., in July 2020, I inherited a struggling school board and a faltering school system. Starting in the middle of the pandemic, I had to navigate a new city, new supervisors, a new leadership team and new staff — most of whom I could only meet over Zoom.

Once a thriving, historic school district, Hickman Mills had dropped to provisional state accreditation and longed to reclaim its former glory. While restoring greatness depends on all educators — superintendent, leadership teams, teachers and staff — I believe the district’s success ultimately hinges on effective board governance.

Our board members must be well-versed in policy development, decision-making processes and political savviness and demonstrate relentless dedication to our goals. Without these elements aligning over time, the district had only sporadically achieved moments of its past greatness. To shape the community’s desired future, we needed a fundamental shift in how the school board operated.

Being a school board member can be a frustrating, thankless job, but it’s a vital part of any community’s fabric. Though Hickman Mills is a midsize district with 5,500 students in the heart of the country, our story mirrors the broader challenges school boards face nationwide.

Over my 30 years of experience, I’ve learned that a school board’s success depends on its members and the superintendent doing three key things:

Acknowledging the past.

Embracing the present.

Thinking creatively to build a future that reflects the community’s vision.

Recognizing the Past

The dynamics of a school board often take shape long before new members are sworn in, as was the case with ours. Decades of organizational dysfunction had festered, marked by election disputes, divided boards, voting stalemates, incivility, character attacks, vacancies and resignations. This instability led to constant turnover in the district’s superintendency and leadership teams.

Complicating matters further, Hickman Mills once was a thriving suburban district supported by strong businesses and resources. However, suburban sprawl and urban gentrification drastically altered the demographics of this historically proud community, resulting in declining enrollment, school closures, staff departures and financial challenges.

The outlook for the district seemed bleak, with few solutions in sight.

Embracing the Present

An old Chinese proverb says a crisis is an opportunity to ride a dangerous wind. When I arrived in the district, that was precisely the situation. While many saw a board in disarray, I saw potential — a board with the critical elements to lead the district toward the future we envisioned. The newly elected board president was ready for drastic change and willing to take the necessary risks.

However, actual progress wouldn’t happen in just one term. The foundation of real change was set in motion, and when the next board president stepped in, his entrepreneurial zeal became a significant asset. This individual brought extensive political experience, having held city, county and state positions before joining the school board. His political connections and ability to get things done gave the board a unique skill set not typically seen.

Though working with someone of that level of political ability had its challenges, his relentless drive to make improvements and bring big ideas to the table was invaluable. By embracing his strengths collaboratively, we found common ground in his vision for the community and our internal goals for the school system.

As a result, the district passed a bond and levy, purchased a building for our new Real-World Learning Center, sold other properties to increase revenue and, most importantly, raised teacher salaries to the highest in the region. These moves reestablished the district as an education leader in the greater Kansas City area.

Just as the dangerous winds began to calm, another crisis hit like a Midwest spring tornado. The school board president won a county election, making him ineligible to continue leading the school board. At the same time, it was election season for new board members.

After the election, another sitting board member, whose seat wasn’t up for reelection, had to resign due to relocation outside the district. This left Hickman Mills with only six board members, and they were politically divided 3-3.

There’s always a storm brewing in education, and if you stay ready, you won’t have to get prepared. We again faced internal conflict — board members were fighting, there were allegations of financial mismanagement and ethics violations, and a stalemate on critical decisions. Board meetings ground to a halt, attracting attention from local news media and state officials. To complicate matters, one of the board members was dealing with a severe medical issue, requiring her to receive treatment over several months.

A Breakthrough Setup

Month after month passed with little resolution, leaving our students’ education in limbo. I realized it was time to move beyond “thinking outside the box.” In fact, there were no boxes. This mindset shift enabled us to start having strategic, constructive discussions focused on compromise and bold decisions for the district.

Board members met individually and in small groups, with me often serving as the mediator. Some meetings required legal research and advice from outside counsel. We explored various leadership structures for the board, but ultimately, progress depended on personalities, relationships and trust.

While the solutions we found didn’t always adhere strictly to traditional or legal guidelines, they were better than doing nothing. After several difficult conversations and failed attempts, we reached a breakthrough with an unconventional approach: school board co-presidents.

I proposed a plan where two presidents, one from each side of the board divide, would lead together. Given the board’s history of interpersonal conflicts, this model was designed to show fellow board members and the community that collaboration was possible for the sake of our students. Neither co-president would have an advantage in voting, forcing them to work together.

To my relief, two board members rose up to the leadership challenge and all six board members agreed. They finally became grounded in taking action with our students in mind — a moral purpose. Though some critics, both on the board and in the community, doubted its success, the co-presidents demonstrated a willingness to set aside their agendas to prioritize students. I believed the model could work because the board had empowered me to help make it happen.

First Milestones

Board meetings also evolved. The co-presidents and I collaborated to craft agendas, and the calm from our new structure allowed us to get back on track. According to the state school board association in Missouri, no other board had implemented such a model, and the association didn’t recommend it.

Yet after a few months, even the critics, both internal and external, had to acknowledge its success. Positive outcomes included renewed mutual respect, intentional agenda-setting, clear communication, informed decision making and greater transparency.

As a result, the board accomplished several significant milestones, including:

Establishing a new learning center focused on career pathways.

Launching a STEAM middle school.

Implementing a year-round elementary school.

Improving financial stability.

Providing teachers with the largest raises in district history.

These achievements came from a school board that, just months earlier, had been embroiled in conflict but now felt a moral imperative to put students first.

Relentless Perseverance

Radical change brings radical lessons. Throughout this journey, I’ve learned valuable insights into leadership, governance and accountability.

Here are four key lessons that I invite all school leaders to consider, relating to leadership, governance, accountability and agility.

Establish a clear vision for the district early on and maintain consistent expectations for the school board, executive leadership, staff and teachers. Leadership is essential because it sets the tone for everything else.

Be strategic and intentional in every decision, no matter how small, to ensure alignment with the vision. Continuously evaluate governance practices, from communication and board meetings to decision-making frameworks. Ongoing professional development in governance is essential.

Set board-developed goals that contribute to districtwide success. Focus on facts and measurable outcomes to support a can-do mindset. Create a self-assessment tool to hold board members accountable for their contributions.

Encourage flexible thinking and adaptability in leadership. Use policies, procedures and technology to explore more effective options. Emphasize that the board’s primary goal is to keep the district moving forward and develop contingency plans and practices that fit real-world needs.

Today, I’m proud to share that the governance of the Hickman Mills C-1 Schools has successfully undergone radical change quickly, learning valuable (and sometimes painful) lessons. We are stronger now — and will be even stronger tomorrow. 

YAW OBENG is superintendent of Hickman Mills C-1 Schools in Kansas City, Mo., and author of the forthcoming book Calculated Risk: Leadership Lessons & Stories.