Governance

The role of Harare International School’s Board of Governors is to protect the long-term health and success of our school. It’s primary responsibilities are to:  

1. Approve the mission of the school and set the Board policies and strategic priorities that will help the school achieve that mission. The Board delegates the implementation of school policies to the Director who is responsible for the administrative operations of our school.
2. Provide financial oversight and ensure that the school has the resources it needs to deliver a high quality education to all HIS students.
3. Hire, support, and appraise the school’s director.

The Board conducts much of its work through committees. The Board has two standing committees: Finance Committee and Governance Committee.

• The Finance Committee ensures the financial health and sustainability of the school. It engages in long-term financial planning, periodic reviews of fiscal management procedures, and the establishment of funding and reserves necessary to achieve and sustain a quality educational program. The Finance Committee selects the annual external auditor and it is responsible for the final review and approval of the budget before it goes to the Board for adoption.
• The Governance Committee builds and sustains an effective board for HIS to carry out its mission by ensuring board continuity, board education, good governance practices, and a strong pool of potential board candidates. It evaluates and revises, as needed, the policies of the school and presents them to the Board for adoption. The Governance Committee also leads the process of drafting revisions to the school’s governing documents and presenting them to the Association for approval.

The Board forms additional committees or working groups as needed to address issues identified as priorities for the year. Committee membership consists of at least two Board members, volunteer parents, relevant faculty or staff members, the Board Chair, and the School Director. When additional committees or working groups are needed, the Board will share volunteer opportunities via the weekly bulletin.

The Board of Governors consists of at least seven and up to nine members. Five members are elected by HIS parents to serve three-year terms and must be parents or guardians of a student currently enrolled at HIS. Two members are appointed by the Embassy of the United States for two or three-year terms and at least one appointee must be a parent of a student enrolled at HIS. Up to two additional members may be appointed by the Board itself for one-year terms.

There are no specific constituencies that are entitled to representation on the Board, however HIS will benefit from board members with skills and experience in areas such as human resources, financial management, accounting, law, public relations, engineering, fundraising, business management, strategic planning, leadership, education, and the local economic context. In general the HIS Board strives to have a healthy balance of diverse perspectives, including:

• individuals from companies, organizations or entities which have a substantial population at HIS;
• individuals from the diplomatic community;
• parents with children in different school divisions (Early Childhood through Grade 12);
• private-payer and corporate fee paying parents;
• various nationalities; and
• short-term and long-term residents.

HIS board members agree to act in the best interest of the school at all times and to adhere to the HIS Board Practices of Good Governance 

Board elections are held every year in May. The Board invites interested parents/guardians to attend a mandatory Candidate Orientation Session in April before they declare their candidacy.

The Board communicates with the school community through the following channels:

1. Board Talk – An online form (link at the bottom of the weekly bulletin) where parents/guardians can submit questions about the governance of the school
2. HIS Weekly Bulletin – Where the board can ask for parent volunteers on committees or task forces and can provide updates on meetings, elections, or other governance events
3. Community Meetings – Twice-yearly meetings where the Board presents and reports on its annual Board and committee goals, proposes changes to governing documents, and announces changes to school policies
4. Annual General Meeting (AGM) – An annual meeting where the Board reports on annual goals for Board and committees, presents the annual external audit and the financial standing of the school, and addresses any major topics facing Board that year
5. Special Notices – Announcements vie email to the community about Board elections and any proposed amendments to Articles and Bylaws

The Board can also be reached via email at board@his.ac.zw.