An effective governing board is essential to a charter school’s long-term success and sustainability. The Indicators of Distress Tool highlights governance failure as a key early warning sign of school decline. In distressed schools, boards often lack meaningful engagement with the school community and fail to include members who represent or understand the local context. This disconnect makes it difficult for boards to identify school needs or hire leaders with the necessary skills to drive improvement.

Many struggling boards also lack the capacity to carry out essential governance functions, particularly in areas such as finance, strategic planning, accountability, and performance monitoring. These gaps may stem from a limited understanding of education systems or from problematic board composition—such as conflicts of interest or close ties to school staff—that compromise objectivity and effective oversight. Without this capacity, boards are less equipped to provide the leadership and stability schools require during times of challenge.

The Indicators of Distress Tool emphasizes that effective governance requires boards to consistently monitor school performance, ensure mission alignment, and engage in forward-looking planning. When boards neglect these functions, they contribute to a reactive school culture that lacks the structure and support needed for long-term success. Identifying these governance gaps early enables authorizers and support organizations to intervene before deeper institutional failure occurs.