The Scott County School Board: A Case in Group Dysfunction

Over the past few years, the Scott County School Board has experienced a number of interpersonal and procedural issues during the conduct of its business. In addition to incivility of communication, the board has experienced conflict, challenges to its leadership, and questionable actions on the part of the board chairperson. This case raises a number of questions: What are the problems facing this school board and what can be done to improve its performance? What policies does a school board need and how should they be stated? How should perceived policy violations be handled? How much authority and discretion should a board chairperson have? This case can be useful in graduate courses to generate discussion of proper school board operations and ethical behavior in educational leadership and administration