Texas: State Board of Education (SBOE)
What is the State Board of Education (SBOE):
It is the policy-making body of the Texas Education Agency (TEA). TEA is the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. It is headed by the commissioner of education.
What does SBOE do?
The SBOE adopts policies, rules, and regulations; sets curriculum standards, reviews and adopts instructional materials, establishes graduation requirements, approves budgets; executes contracts for the purchase of textbooks and instructional materials; directs the investment of the Permanent School Fund; passes on appeals made from the decisions of the commissioner; reviews the educational needs of the state (including setting the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum), and evaluates programs under the direction of TEA.
Potential confusion:
The SBOE is not the same as the school board. A school board is a local authority that makes decisions for the public schools within the board’s district.
Nitty Gritty Details:
The board is composed of 15 members elected to four-year terms to represent one of the state's 15 education districts.
Education district borders are redrawn every 10 years.
The first time members meet after getting elected to redrawn districts, seven members, who are selected at random, have their current terms shortened to two years, meaning that their seats come up for election in different years than the other eight.
Elections are held in even-numbered years.
Every two years, the governor selects a chair from among the board's members. The nominee for chair must be approved by the Texas State Senate.
If a board member serves two consecutive two-year terms as chair, they are not eligible to be named to the position until four years have passed.
The board is unpaid, but is reimbursed for their food, travel, and other expenses that may come up in the course of official business.
There are no term limits.
There are three committees with specific areas of responsibility on the Texas State Board of Education.
Committee on Instruction
Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund
Committee on School Initiatives
Contact Information:
Phone (512) 463-9007
Fax (512) 936-4319
sboesupport@sboe.texas.gov
Watch archived meetings and live broadcasts at:
https://sboe.texas.gov/state-board-of-education/sboe-meetings/live-and-archived-broadcasts