Board Bylaws 1-8: Committees

I. Introduction

This Board Rule defines the various types of existing Board Committees and provides guidance for how Committees are established and how Committees operate.

II. Types of Committees

• Generally

  Board Committees are advisory in nature and may not take final action on behalf of the Board. Instead, they provide an opportunity for Committee Members to delve more deeply into various topics and provide recommendations to the full Board. They also serve as opportunities for additional engagement of the community.

• Standing Committees

  While their members will fluctuate, Standing Committees are created for an indefinite term.

  1. Agenda Review Committees
     The core function of Agenda Review Committees is to provide the opportunity for Board Members to form, review, analyze, and deliberate on recommendations on items of business prior to consideration by the full Board at a Regular Board Meeting. Standing Committees also provide additional opportunities for the community to learn about items of business coming before the Board and for the Board to hear from community members about those items of business during the public participation segment of the Agenda Review Committee Meetings.
  2. Additional Standing Committees
     The Board may establish additional Standing Committees as it deems appropriate to fulfill its responsibilities under the law and to make informed decisions regarding issues pertaining to the District. These may be focused on addressing disparities or individualized needs, or any other topics that warrant further ongoing consideration.

• Ad Hoc Committees

  The President, with the approval or at the direction of the Board of Education, may appoint committees to operate on an ad hoc basis, which will consider and report on matters referred to them. These committees shall exist for a limited time period to undertake specific tasks, and are automatically dissolved after presenting their final reports to the Board, once they have completed the tasks assigned to them, or at the date set at the establishment of the committee.

III. Agenda Review Standing Committees

• Establishment of Agenda Review Standing Committees

  Three (3) Agenda Review Standing Committees shall be established to review items of business to be considered by the full Board. The Agenda Review Standing Committees shall be:

  • Student Success Committee, which shall review education and programmatic business items related to the success of students.
  • Operations Committee, which shall review capital, facilities, and other operational business items.
  • Finance and Audit Committee, which shall review budget, audit, and other financial business items.

• Agenda Review Standing Committee Creation or Elimination

  The Board President, with the approval or at the direction of a two-thirds vote of the Board, may create a new Agenda Review Standing Committee or eliminate any Agenda Review Standing Committee in III.A.

• Agenda Review Standing Committee Membership

  Agenda Review Standing Committee membership shall be consistent with the following:

  1. Each Agenda Review Standing Committee shall have seven (7) Members. All Board Members are expected to serve on at least one (1) Agenda Review Standing Committee, but no more than two (2).
  2. The Board President shall appoint each Board Member to an Agenda Review Standing Committee within thirty (30) days of the start of that Board Member’s term. Board Members shall make their preferences known to the Board President prior to that time.
  3. The Board President shall also appoint three alternate Board Members for each Agenda Review Standing Committee to act in the place of any Board Member who is unable to attend any given meeting.
  4. The three alternates will be asked to stand in for a Board Member in the order in which they are appointed - Alternate 1, Alternate 2, and Alternate 3.
  5. The term for Agenda Review Standing Committee service shall be one (1) year. However, Board Members may be re-appointed to the same Agenda Review Standing Committee(s) every year.
  6. The Honorary Student Board Member is able to join any Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings as a non-voting Member.

• Rules of Order; Quorum

  1. Quorum for all Agenda Review Standing Committees shall be considered a majority of the membership appointed to the Agenda Review Standing Committee.
  2. All Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Open Meeting Act.
  3. Agenda Review Standing Committees shall be governed by Board Rule 1-7.V, the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, and all other applicable Policies.

• Agenda Review Standing Committee Leadership

  The Agenda Review Standing Committee Leadership shall be consistent with the following:

  1. Each Agenda Review Standing Committee shall have a Chair and a Vice Chair.
  2. The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected by the Members of the Agenda Review Standing Committee annually at the Board’s annual Organizational Meeting.
  3. The term for the Chair and Vice Chair positions shall be one (1) year. However, the Chair and Vice Chair may be re-elected for the same positions every year.
  4. The Chair is:
     • Responsible for working with the Board staff appointed to the Agenda Review Standing Committee to ensure that agendas are developed and minutes and/or reports are produced in a timely manner.
     • The meeting facilitator.
     • Authorized to invite, but cannot compel, presenters to appear before the Agenda Review Standing Committee for the purpose of obtaining relevant information.

• Agenda Review Standing Committee Member Participation Requirements

  1. The Agenda Review Standing Committee Member participation requirements shall be:

     Every Agenda Review Standing Committee Member is expected to attend all Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings and to be prepared for the fullest discussion of issues before the Agenda Review Standing Committee.

  2. An Agenda Review Standing Committee Member may participate by video or audio conference if they are prevented from physically attending because of:

     • personal illness or disability;
     • personal employment purposes;
     • business obligations of the Board;
     • a family or other emergency; or
     • such other reasons authorized under Section 7 of the Open Meetings Act (5/ILCS 120/7).

  A quorum of the Agenda Review Standing Committee Membership must be present in person for a Board Member to participate by video or audio conference due to (a)-(e) in this section.

• Agenda Review Standing Committee Membership Changes

  In the case of a change in membership outside of the annual Organizational Meeting:

  • The Board President shall be responsible for appointing a Member who is new to the Board to an Agenda Review Standing Committee as soon as is practicable.
  • The Board President shall be responsible for appointing a Board Member to fill a vacancy as soon as is practicable.
  • Board Members interested in filling a vacancy shall make their interest known to the Board President when the vacancy has occurred.
  • The subsequent appointment shall be designated to finish the vacated term.
  • If the Chair or Vice Chair positions are vacated mid-term, the Agenda Review Standing Committee Members shall elect a Chair or Vice Chair at the first Agenda Review Standing Committee Meeting following the vacancy of the Chair or Vice Chair.

• Staffing

  1. The Board Office shall designate at least one (1) staff member to each Agenda Review Standing Committee who shall be responsible for: notification of meetings, preparation of agendas, documentation of meetings, and development of reports and data for use of the Agenda Review Standing Committee.
  2. The staff shall also ensure that the proceedings and recordings of Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings are made available to the public via the Board of Education website.

• Scheduling

  The scheduling of the Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings shall be consistent with the following:

  • The Board shall adopt an Annual Calendar of Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings at the time in which the Board approves the calendar of Regular Meetings in accordance with Board Rule 1-6.II.A.
  • A minimum of two (2) Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings per year shall be held in the community at a school, community-based organization, or other site outside of the location of the Regular Meetings as determined by the Board President.
  • Agenda Review Standing Committees Meetings shall be compliant with the Open Meetings Act.

• Agendas and Proceedings

  1. Most items of business for the Regular Board Meeting requiring Board action shall first be directed to an Agenda Review Standing Committee for review. The Board President shall determine which Agenda Review Standing Committee an item of business should be referred to when it is not clear.
  2. A copy of the Agenda Review Standing Committee agenda shall be posted prior to the scheduled Meeting in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
  3. The record of the proceedings of Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings shall include a record of the following (1) the date, time and place of the meeting, (2) the Members who were present, absent and whether Members were physically present or present by means of video or audio conference, and (3) a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated or decided and any votes taken. Any Board Member may direct that any of their remarks made during a Committee Meeting be included in the record of proceedings.
  4. The order of business will proceed as follows.
     • Roll Call
     • Order of Business
     • Opening Remarks from Chair and Senior Leadership
     • Public Participation
     • Items of Business
     • Recommendations
     • Presentations (if any)
     • Adjournment

     The Agenda Review Standing Committee Chair reserves the right to adjust the order of business, provided that the Agenda Review Standing Committee Meeting is still in accordance with the Open Meetings Act and all other Board Policies.

• Agenda Review Standing Committee Reports

  1. The Board Office staff shall prepare an Agenda Review Standing Committee Report for each Agenda Review Standing Committee Meeting.
  2. Each Agenda Review Standing Committee Report shall be compiled using a uniform format that consists of Agenda Review Standing Committee findings, recommendations, and any supporting information.
  3. The Agenda Review Standing Committee Report shall be transmitted to the full Board prior to each scheduled Board meeting.
  4. The Agenda Review Standing Committee Report shall be included in the public agenda for the Regular Board Meeting.

• Public Participation

  Public participation at Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings shall follow the guidelines developed in alignment with Board Rule 1-7.IV.

• Participation by Non-Committee Board Members

  1. Any Board Member is welcome to attend Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings of which they are not Members. However, they shall not be allowed to vote. Non-Committee Board Members may participate in the discussion at the discretion of the Agenda Review Standing Committee Chair.
  2. Any Board Member is allowed to submit questions or concerns they have about items of business being discussed at Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings of which they are not members to the Agenda Review Standing Committee Chair or their designee in accordance with established processes.
  3. All Board Members are encouraged to review the full agenda, minutes, and recordings of all Agenda Review Standing Committee Meetings prior to the Regular Board Meeting.

• Powers

  1. Agenda Review Standing Committees do not speak for or act for the Board.
  2. Agenda Review Standing Committees may not exercise authority over the CEO or District staff. Any direction to the CEO or District staff related to an Agenda Review Standing Committee recommendation shall come from the full Board.

• Agenda Review Standing Committee Responsibilities

  1. Agenda Review Standing Committees are advisory in nature. They provide recommendations to the full Board on items of business for the Regular Board Meeting.
  2. For an item of business to be considered by the full Board, the Committee shall forward it to the full Board as:
     • Recommended
     • Not Recommended
     • Recommended with Modification
     • No Recommendation
  3. A minority report may also be submitted if the Agenda Review Standing Committee has a divided view of its recommendation.

IV. Additional Standing Committees

With the approval or at the direction of a two-thirds vote of the Board, or to be in compliance with applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, or regulations, the Board President may create an additional standing committee. At the time an additional standing committee is being developed and proposed for approval by the Board, specifications similar to those listed in Board Rule 1-8.III.C-O must also be created for that specific standing committee. Specifications must include, but not be limited to:

• Purpose. Scope, and Powers of the Committee
• Rules for membership, including number of seats, term lengths, appointment processes, and process for filling vacancies
• Rules of Order and Quorum rules
• Duties, responsibilities, powers, term length, and appointment processes for the committee leadership
• Member participation requirements
• Process for committee membership changes
• Staff assignments
• Required trainings, if any

V. Ad Hoc Committees

With the approval or at the direction of a two-thirds vote of the Board, or to be in compliance with relevant legislation, the Board President may create an ad hoc committee. At the time an ad hoc committee is being developed and proposed for approval by the Board, specifications similar to those listed in Board Rule 1-8.III.C-O must also be created for that specific ad hoc committee. Specifications must include, but not be limited to:

• Purpose. Scope, and Powers of the Committee
• Rules for membership, including number of seats, term lengths, appointment processes, and process for filling vacancies
• Rules of Order and Quorum rules
• Duties, responsibilities, powers, term length, and appointment processes for the committee leadership
• Member participation requirements
• Process for committee membership changes
• Staff assignments
• Required trainings, if any

Additionally, due to its time limited nature, a more detailed scope of work and timeline for completion must also be included for any ad hoc committee.