Section 98(a) of R.A. 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, and Section 110(a) of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 49, also known as the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code of 2023 or BLGC, provide that “there shall be established in every province, city, or municipality a provincial, city or municipal school board, respectively.“
Composition:
Chairperson: Local Chief Executive (Governors in the provincial level, Mayors in the city/municipal levels)
Co-Chairperson: DepEd/MBHTE Division/City Superintendent of Schools (in the provincial and city levels) or District Supervisor (in the Municipal levels)
Members:
- Chairperson, Sangguniang Panlalawigan/Panlungsod/Bayan Committee on Education
- Provincial / City / Municipal Treasurer
- President, SK Pederasyon President
- Duly elected president of the provincial/city/municipal federation of parents-teachers associations
- Duly elected representative of the teachers’ organizations in the province/city/municipality
- Duly elected representative of the non-academic personnel of public schools in the province/city/municipality
- Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) involved in education-related services
- Madaris Division Superintendent (BARMM region only, Section 110(2) of BAA No. 49)
In the event that there are two or more school superintendents in a province, the DepEd or MBHTE in the case of the BARMM region, shall designate the co-chairperson.
In the event that there are two or more district supervisors in a municipality, the division superintent shall designate the district supervisor who shall serve as as co-chairperson to the municipal school board.
Local Governments are encouraged to further expand the number of CSO memberships to one-half (1/2) of the fully constitued council, per DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2025-060, Section 4.4.13.2, to include representatives from sectors such as, but not limited to, ICCs/IPs, senior citizens, PWDs, parents of children with disabilities, principals, high school representatives, Alternative Learning System (ALS) and Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD).
Members of the Local School Board who are not government officials or employees shall be entitled to necessary travelling expenses and allowances chargeable against LGU funds.
Functions of Local School Baords:
- Determine, in accordance with the criteria set by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports [MBHTE in the case of the BARMM region], the annual supplementary budgetary needs for the operation and maintenance of public schools within the province, city, or municipality, as the case may be, and the supplementary local cost of meeting such as needs, which shall be reflected in the form of an annual school board budget corresponding to its share of the proceeds of the special levy on real property constituting the Special Education Fund and such other sources of revenue as this Code and other laws or ordinances may provide;
- Authorize the provincial, city or municipal treasurer, as the case may be, to disburse funds from the Special Education Fund pursuant to the budget prepared and in accordance with existing rules and regulations;
- Serve as an advisory committee to the sanggunian concerned on educational matters such as, but not limited to, the necessity for and the uses of local appropriations for educational purposes;
- Recommend changes in the names of public schools within the territorial jurisdiction of the local government unit for enactment by the sanggunian concerned;
- Be consulted by the DepEd/MBHTE on the appointment of division superintendents, school principals, and other school official.
Meeting and Quorum:
Under Section 100 of the R.A. 7160, The local school board shall meet at least once a month or as often as may be necessary.
In the Bangsamoro Region, the local school board shall meet at least once every quarter or as often as may be necessary (Section 112(a), BLGC).
Any of the co-chairpersons may call the meeting.
Plans and Budget
Proceeds from the additional 1% tax on real property collected shall accrue to the Special Education Fund (SEF).
The Local School Board shall formulate a three-year program indicating strategic prioritization policies in the allocation of the SEF to schools, coordinating city/municipal school plans with that of the province and ensuring that the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and the Division Education Development Plan (DEDP) are formulated collaboratively with the stakeholders in the community.
Relevant Issuance:
- DEPED-DBM-DILG Joint Circular No. 02, s. 2020 dated October 23, 2020 entitled “Addendum No. 2 [Clarification to DepEd-DBM-DILG Joint Circular No. 1, series of 2017 dated January 19, 2017,Entitled, “Revised Guidelines on the use of the Special Education Fund (SEF)”]”
- DEPED-DBM-DILG Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2020 dated August 27, 2020 entitled “ADDENDUM TO DepEd-DBM-DILG JC No. 1, s. 2017 DATED JANUARY 19, 2017, ENTITLED, “REVISED GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUND (SEF)“
- DEPED-DBM-DILG Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2017 dated January 19, 2017 entitled “REVISED GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUND (SEF)“
- DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2008-095 entitled “LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS“
To read up on the various local special bodies, click here.
