(a) School board members shall be sworn before entering upon the duties of their office. At the meeting next following the election of a school board member, the school board shall elect one of its number to serve as the chair and one other of its number to serve as the clerk. The clerk may be paid upon order of the school board. The clerk shall keep a permanent record of the proceedings of the school board. In the clerk's absence, another member of the school board shall assume the clerk's duties.

(b) At least annually, the chairs of each school board within a supervisory union, the chair of the supervisory union board, and the superintendent shall jointly participate in at least eight hours of professional training that, at a minimum, addresses: