The Boards of Management (BOM) of every primary school in the country were dissolved on 30th November 2023. New Boards of Management were then constituted, for the 4-year term 2023-2027. Our wonderful Chairperson and female parent nominee for the last ten years Yvonne Coyne has stepped down and we are actively seeking to fill the vacancies on our board. We are looking for a community nominee treasurer and a patron nominee. The Governance Manual outlines the roles and responsibilities of the BOM. You can find the full governance manual here. Below is a summary of the key points.
 
What is a Board of Management (BOM)?

A BOM manages a school on behalf of the Patron.  In the case of Castlebar Educate Together, the Patron is Educate Together. The BOM runs the school, is the employer & has legal responsibility for everything that happens in the school. BOM members are personally indemnified for their actions as a BOM member, assuming they work within the guidelines. Training is provided by Patrons for all BOM members.
 
There are 8 members on a Board of Management.

• 2 patron nominees

• 2 school members: the principal and a teacher nominee

• 2 parent nominees

• 2 community nominees - these are people not directly connected to the school, who are chosen & appointed by the other 6 Board Members after they're appointed, for skills they can bring to the Board.

 
Eligibility
Where possible, Board members should not be related to each other or to any staff member.
Membership of the Board of Management ends if you are on leave of 24 weeks or more (e.g. career break, maternity leave, etc).

Appointing Officers
Once patron, parent & teacher nominees are appointed, they meet & agree on community nominees to invite. Once a full BOM is constituted, the Patron chooses a Chairperson from the 8 members. It cannot be the Principal or teacher nominee. The Principal is the secretary of the Board. A Treasurer must be appointed from within the 8 members.
 
Meetings & Commitment
Boards of Management are obliged to meet at minimum 5 times a year, including once each term. Meetings typically last about 2 hours.  Times and dates of meetings will be agreed by the Board once formed/annually.
 
Confidentiality & Representation
All BOM proceedings are absolutely confidential. The BOM will agree an 'agreed report' at the end of meetings to share with the community. Outside of this, nothing can be discussed.
Teacher & parent nominees are not representing those groups. They do not bring issues from those groups to the Board or report back on matters outside of the agreed report. They are providing a perspective from an individual parent or teacher. Any issues to be raised at board level should go through the usual channels via the Principal and or the Chairperson.
 
What are BOMs responsible for?
Each item listed below has a section in the governance manual, if you would like more information:
 

• Policies

• Resources (oversight)

• School Leadership

• Recruitment

• School Plan

• School Self Evaluation

• Finance

• Charities regulator compliance

• Child Protection

• Vetting

• GDPR

• Protected Discloures

• Use of school premises

• Health & Safety

• Procurement

• Energy Management

• Appointment of staff

• Oversight of Online Claims System 

 
Members of Board of Management 2023 – 2027:
TBC- Chairperson
Jarlath Munnelly – Patron Nominee
Sarah Calvey  – Principal
Miriam Conway – Teacher Nominee
Olivia Leonard – Parent Nominee
Noel Campbell – Parent Nominee
Darragh Healy – Community Nominee
Mary Malone – Community Nominee