A seven-member board of education is responsible for setting the policies of the district. Board members, who receive no pay for their work, are elected to four-year terms. Board meetings are normally held at Woodland School on the second Monday of the month and at one of our other schools on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. During the months of June, July, and December, meetings are held on the third Monday of the month. The public is invited. For specific dates and meeting places, interested parties may call the Administrative Offices at 656-1182, extension 10000 or view the meeting schedule. Board meetings are also televised on the local community access television channel.

Mission Statement of the Board of Education

The Board of Education will provide an environment that will develop all students to their fullest potential so that they will have the knowledge, skills, and behavior necessary to compete in a global economy and to exercise the rights and responsibilities of good citizenship.

Goals of the Board of Education

Finance: To seek necessary funds that will enable the District to provide programs that will help students develop to their fullest potential

Curriculum/Programs: To provide curricula and programs which are meaningful and relevant to the needs of children

Facilities: To provide adequate space to accommodate the educational programs

Communication/Community Relations: To foster positive community relations with constituencies in District 7

Parental Involvement: To provide opportunities for increasing the level of family participation in the educational process

Staff: To provide a highly qualified staff and develop it to its fullest potential

Legal Requirements Board members must be U.S. citizens, over the age of 18, registered voters, and residents of the school district for at least one year prior to election. They may not serve as a state school trustee while on the board. Members serve a four-year term. A new election schedule began in 1999 which changes school board elections from November to April.

Composition of Board State statute requires the board to have seven members. Local school board policy determines the number from within the largest township (four) and the number from outside the township (three). Terms are for four years with three or four elected every two years. The Board elects officers after each election. There is no salary, but expenses for out-of-town conferences are often paid if approved in advance by the board president and fall within the amount budgeted.

If a vacancy occurs, the board appoints a replacement until the next election. However, if the vacancy occurs with fewer than 868 days remaining in the term or if the vacancy occurs fewer than 88 days before the next regularly scheduled election for this office, the person so appointed shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term, and no election to fill the vacancy will be held.

Duties The board meets on the second and fourth Mondays except June, July, and December when it
meets only on the third Monday. Meetings are shown on delayed tape by ECTV Channel 10. Agenda
and minutes of all meetings are available upon request.

Board members also attend various school functions and many committee meetings. For example,
the Facilities Committee met weekly during the planning and completion of the new high school and
renovation of other buildings. The board is aided in its work by consultants as needed, such as a lawyer,
an accounting firm, architects, financial consultants, and the Illinois School Board Association.

Appeals There is time at the beginning and end of each board meeting for questions from citizens, and
the annual budget hearings in September are always open for comment. Usually, the final authority
for problems rests with the local board, although certain cases may be appealed to the courts or to
the State Board of Education. Those wishing to detach from the District must appeal to the Regional
Superintendent’s Office.

Powers The board sets policy for the District in a manual which is available at Hadley House and
all school buildings. The board does long range planning and determines the monetary needs of the
District. It can contract debts and propose tax referenda and bond issues. The state requires the board
to hire a superintendent to administer the District under the board’s direction. The superintendent
brings recommendations to the board.

Citizens Advisory Council The Citizens Advisory Council is composed of approximately 25 people who meet monthly to study various topics with the goal of reporting their findings to the superintendent and school board. The members serve for three-year terms and are selected to represent diverse geographic areas, different age groups, and a wide range of interests. Their topics are generated by the school board or from within their committee after receiving input from the community.

Outside Resources The board often enters into cooperative efforts with the local police and fire departments, health and social service agencies, and recreation departments to provide expanded resources and facilities for the students and community. The state legislature does not directly control individual districts but provides funding and mandates various programs. The local board is a member of the IASB (Illinois Association of School Boards) and LUDA (Large Unit District Association).

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