A clerk of the board must be elected or appointed at the annual meeting and his or her compensation fixed. The board also may elect a deputy clerk who shall be empowered to act in all matters in case of the absence, or inability to act, of the clerk or otherwise as provided by resolution of the board. These officers can be appointed only on recommendation of the division superintendent of schools. In some counties and cities, the division superintendent serves as clerk of the board. The law permits this, but there is considerable division of opinion about whether or not this is a desirable practice. In some instances, in which routine duties can be delegated to other employees, the arrangement has been satisfactory. In others, the superintendent's time has been divided uneconomically between the positions.

The duties of the clerk of the board are specified by law. In general, the clerk must keep a record of the meetings and proceedings of the board, a record of all receipts and disbursements, a record of all his or her official acts, a file of vouchers, contracts, and other official papers, and, under the general direction of the superintendent, perform such other duties in connection with the school business of the county or city as may be required by the school board, or the Board of Education.The clerk is not a member of the board. He or she attends board meetings to record the proceedings and to supply the records and other information which the board may need. It is not his or her function to give advice and counsel to the board, to participate in discussion, or to make the decisions. Unless especially authorized, he or she should not give out information about the meetings or discuss outside of a meeting anything which transpired in it. He or she is an officer of the board whose function is to discharge certain specified duties under the direction of the division superintendent and the board.
