FILE:  AB

Cf:  ABC

SCHOOL BOARD LEGAL STATUS

The Orleans Parish School Board derives its legal status from the State Legislature, which is subject to the Constitutions of the State of Louisiana and the United States.  The Legislature has been granted authority to create school boards by Article VIII, Section 9 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 which states:  ". . . The legislature shall create parish school boards and provide for the election of their members. . . ."  In addition, Article VIII, Section 10, recognized parish and city school board systems in existence on the effective date of the state constitution, and Article VIII, Section 13 gives the Orleans Parish School Board all of the authority, powers, and duties granted to parish school boards.

The Orleans Parish School Board has been established as a body corporate charged with the establishment, maintenance, development and operation of an efficient public school program within Orleans Parish.  The School Board is vested with a broad range of administrative and supervisory authority commensurate with the aforementioned prescribed educational responsibilities.

Members of the Orleans Parish School Board are officers of the state.  The School Board is the agency through which the school district acts in regard to school matters in accordance with statutory provisions.  School Board members have authority only when functioning as a body or group in a legally called regular or special meeting.  The powers of the School Board are delegated only to the School Board as a body.  No authority is granted to members acting as individuals.

The School Board is cognizant that all actions must be taken in good faith, with reasonable prudence and sincerity.  Actions of the School Board shall be based on the belief that such actions are correct and in the best interests of the school district in accordance with the statutes and pertinent judicial precedents.

In suits against the Orleans Parish School Board, citation shall be served on the President of the School Board or, in his/her absence, the Vice-President.

DOMICILE

The official domicile of the Orleans Parish School Board is the School Board Central Office located at 3520 General DeGaulle Drive, Suite 5055, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ref:     Constitution of Louisiana, Art. VI, Sec 44, Art. VIII, Sec. 9, Sec. 10, Sec, 13, Art. XII, Sec. 10

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:51, 17:1371, 17:1371.1, 17:1371.2, 17:1372, 17:1373, 17:1377, 17:1378

Hawthorne v. Jackson Parish School Board, 5 La. App. 508 (1927)

Orleans Parish School Board