Although most school boards traditionally marked the seating of new members with some form of ceremony, there was no official oath of office required for school board members until Public Act 94-0881 was enacted into law in 2006. This law requires that school board members, before taking their seats on the board, take an official oath that is in substantially the form presented below.

"I, (name of member or successful candidate) , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of member of the Board of Education (or Board of School Directors) of ( name of school district ), in accordance with the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and the laws of the State of Illinois, to the best of my ability.

"I further swear (or affirm) that:

"I shall respect taxpayer interests by serving as a faithful protector of the school district's assets;

"I shall encourage and respect the free expression of opinion by my fellow board members and others who seek a hearing before the board, while respecting the privacy of students and employees;

"I shall recognize that a board member has no legal authority as an individual and that decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a public board meeting; and

"I shall abide by majority decisions of the board, while retaining the right to seek changes in such decisions through ethical and constructive channels."

-- 105 ILCS 5/10-16.5