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Standing Board Committees

Section 1-11

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  1. Generally. The Board may establish Standing Committees as it deems appropriate to fulfill its responsibilities under the law and to make informed decisions regarding issues pertaining to the school district. This Rule sets forth the requirements to be followed in the establishment, membership selection, and operations of the Board’s Standing Committees.
  2. Purpose. Standing Committees are created for an indefinite term. While its members will fluctuate, the core function of these Standing Committees is to provide the opportunity for Board Members to form, review, analyze, and deliberate on recommendations prior to consideration by the full Board. Committee Meetings also provide additional opportunities for the community to learn about business coming before the Board and for the Board to hear from community members about those items during the public participation segment of the Meeting.
  3. Establishment of Agenda Review Committee. Effective May 2023 through December 2024, the Board shall establish the Agenda Review Committee to review all agenda items requiring Board approval at the monthly Regular Board Meeting. The Agenda Review Committee shall be consistent with the following:
    1. Occur at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the Regular Board Meeting.
    2. All agenda items that require Board approval at the Regular Board Meeting for that month shall be presented to the Board at the Agenda Review Committee, unless the Board President has determined, in their discretion, that an item is either time-sensitive or otherwise involves an emergency, pursuant to Rule 2-17.
    3. The Chair is authorized to invite presenters to appear before the Committee for the purpose of obtaining relevant information.
    4. Include proper notice, agenda, minutes, proceedings, public participation, and all other requirements to comply with the Open Meetings Act.
    5. Quorum shall be a majority of the full membership of the Board.
    6. Membership shall be a Committee of the Whole.
    7. Any Board Member may participate by video or audio conference if they are prevented from physically attending because of: (i) personal illness or disability; (ii) personal employment purposes; (iii) business obligations of the Board; (iv) a family or other emergency; or (v) such other reasons authorized under Section 7 of the Open Meetings Act (5/ILCS 120/7). A quorum of the Committee Membership must be present for a Board Member to participate by video or audio conference due to (i)-(v) in this section.
    8. Chaired by the Board President, Board Vice President in the absence or disability of the Board President, or other Board Member designated by the Board President.
    9. The Agenda Review Committee shall expire following the Regular Board Meeting of December 2024.
  4. Agenda Review Standing Committees. Effective January 2025 and each year thereafter, the Board shall establish Committees consistent with the following:
    1. Establishment of Agenda Review Standing Committees. Three (3) standing committees shall be established to review all agenda items to be considered by the full Board. The Agenda Review Standing Committees shall be:
      1. Student Success Committee, which shall review education and programmatic business items related to the success of students.
      2. Operations Committee, which shall review capital, facilities, and other operational business items.
      3. Finance and Audit Committee, which shall review budget, audit, and other financial business items.
    2. Committee Creation or Elimination. The Board President, with the approval or at the direction of a majority of the Board, may create or eliminate any Standing Committee in this Rule.
    3. Committee Membership. Committee Membership shall be consistent with the following:
      1. Each Standing Committee shall have seven (7) Members.
      2. All Board Members are expected to serve on at least one (1) Standing Committee, but no more than two (2).
      3. The Board President shall appoint each Board Member to a Committee within thirty (30) days of the start of that Board Member’s service. Board Members shall make their preferences known to the Board President prior to that time.
      4. The Board President shall also appoint an alternate Board Member for each Committee to act in the place of a Board Member who is unable to attend any given meeting.
      5. The term for Committee service shall be one (1) year. However, Board Members may be re-appointed to the same Committee(s) every year.
      6. The student Honorary School Board Member is able to join any Committee as a non-voting Member.
    4. Rules of Order; Quorum.
      1. Quorum for all Committees shall be considered a majority of the membership appointed to the Committee.
      2. All Committee Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Open Meeting Act.
      3. Committees shall be governed by Board Rule 2-5, the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, and all other applicable Rules.
    5. Committee Leadership. The Committee Leadership shall be consistent with the following:
      1. Each Committee shall have a Chair and a Vice Chair.
      2. The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected by the Members of the Committee annually at the Regular Board Meeting in January.
      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 shall be responsible for working with the Board staff appointed to the Committee to ensure that agendas are developed and minutes and/or reports are produced in a timely manner. The Chair shall also function as the meeting facilitator. The Chair is authorized to invite presenters to appear before the Committee for the purpose of obtaining relevant information.
      5. In the event that the Chair of the Committee is unavailable for a scheduled Committee Meeting, the Vice Chair shall serve as the chair for the given Meeting. If the Vice Chair is unavailable for a scheduled Committee Meeting, the Board President shall designate a Committee Member to preside over the Committee Meeting, provided a quorum of the Committee has been established.
    6. Committee Member Participation Requirements. The Committee Member participation requirements shall be:
      1. Every Committee Member is expected to attend all Committee Meetings and to be prepared for the fullest discussion of issues before the Committee.
      2. A Committee Member may participate by video or audio conference if they are prevented from physically attending because of: (i) personal illness or disability; (ii) personal employment purposes; (iii) business obligations of the Board; (iv) a family or other emergency; or (v) such other reasons authorized under Section 7 of the Open Meetings Act (5/ILCS 120/7). A quorum of the Committee Membership must be present for a Board Member to participate by video or audio conference due to (i)-(v) in this section.
    7. Membership Changes.
      1. The Board President shall be responsible for appointing a Member who is new to the Board to a Committee as soon as is practicable.
      2. The Board President shall be responsible for appointing a Board Member to fill a vacancy as soon as is practicable.
      3. If the Chair or Vice Chair positions are vacated mid-term, the Committee Members shall elect a Chair or Vice Chair at the first Committee Meeting following the vacancy of the Chair or Vice Chair.
      4. Board Members interested in filling a vacancy shall make their interest known to the Board President when the vacancy has occurred.
      5. The subsequent appointment shall be designated to finish the vacated term.
    8. Staffing.
      1. The Board Office shall designate at least one (1) staff member to each 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 Committee.
      2. The staff shall also ensure that the proceedings and recordings of Committee Meetings are made available to the public via the Board of Education website.
    9. Scheduling. The scheduling of the Committee Meetings shall be consistent with the following:
      1. The Board shall adopt an Annual Calendar of Committee Meetings.
      2. A minimum of two (2) 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.
      3. Committees Meetings shall be compliant with the Open Meetings Act.
    10. Agendas and Proceedings.
      1. All agenda items for the Regular Board Meeting requiring Board action must first be directed to a Standing Committee for review. The Board President shall determine which Committee an agenda item should be referred to when it is not clear.
      2. A copy of the agenda shall be posted prior to the scheduled Meeting in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
      3. The record of the proceedings of 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. The Board may direct that the remarks of any Member made during a Meeting shall be included in the record of proceedings.
    11. Committee Reports.
      1. The Board Office staff shall prepare a Committee Report for each Committee Meeting.
      2. Each Committee Report shall be compiled using a uniform format that consists of committee findings, recommendations, and any supporting information.
      3. The Committee Report shall be transmitted to the full Board prior to each scheduled Board meeting.
      4. The Committee Report shall be included in the public agenda for the Regular Board Meeting.
    12. Public Participation. Committee Meeting Public Participation Guidelines shall be established by the Board President and consistent with the following:
      1. All regularly scheduled monthly Committee Meetings are open to the public, except for items to be discussed through a closed session in accordance with the Open Meeting Act.
      2. The public will have access to the Meeting via live stream at cpsboe.org. These Meetings shall also be recorded, and recordings will be made available to the public.
    13. Participation by Non-Committee Board Members.
      1. Any Board Member is welcome to attend 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 Committee Chair.
      2. Any Board Member is allowed to submit questions or concerns they have about items being discussed at Committee Meetings of which they are not members to the 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 Committee Meetings prior to the Regular Board Meeting.
    14. Powers.
      1. Committees do not speak for or act for the Board.
      2. Committees may not exercise authority over the CEO or District staff. Any direction to the CEO or District staff related to a Committee recommendation shall come from the full Board.
    15. Committee Responsibilities.
      1. Standing Committees are advisory in nature. They provide recommendations to the full Board on the agenda items for the Regular Board Meeting.
      2. For all agenda items to be considered by the full Board, the Committee shall forward it to the full Board as:
        1. Recommended
        2. Not Recommended
        3. Recommended with Modification
        4. No Recommendation

Rule References

Cross References Board Rule 1-11 was adopted as a new Section at the April 26, 2023 Board Meeting [Board Report 23-0426-RU1].
Final Board Rule 1-10 was adopted on a Final basis at the February 26, 2020 Board Meeting [Board Report 20-0226-RU1].
Public Comment Pursuant to Board Rule 2-6 this Rule [1-11] was subject to Public Comment from 3/17/23 - 4/17/23.
Pursuant to Board Rule 2-6 this Rule [1-10] was subject to Public Comment from 12/16/19 - 1/15/20 and amended/adopted on an interim basis at the December 11, 2019 Board Meeting [Board Report 19-1211-RU1].

Chicago Board of Education

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