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A Guide for Media: Working with Boards of Education

The Local Board of Education and Its Meetings

A board of education is elected by the community to govern the school district.

  • Most Illinois school boards have seven members, elected to four-year terms of office. The school board represents the community’s interests and priorities for its local schools. The board of education is responsible for governance. The superintendent is responsible for administration.
  • The board is the decision-making entity; a board member has no authority as an individual
  • The purpose of a school board meeting is to transact the legal business of the school district. A legally-called meeting is the only place and time a board’s work can be done.
  • The Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are expressly applicable to school boards. For more information, read Letting the Sunshine In: School Board Meetings and Records on the IASB website. 

Who to Approach

A reporter new to covering a school district should first contact the district office, which will direct their query to the appropriate party. Some Illinois school districts have public relations professionals on staff; most do not. Many boards of education delegate working with the media to the superintendent. Others will have the board president speak for the board, and the superintendent speak for the administration and staff. The document How School Boards Work is a public-facing document that might also be helpful for media members. 

What the Media Can Expect from the Board and District

Among the general recommendations for the board and district, when working with the media, are to:

  • Provide the reporter with a packet of detailed information about the district, its schools, and current issues.
  • Offer the reporter materials to read on Illinois school law in general, and on local budget and finance issues in particular.
  • Be available to meet with the reporter to provide information on laws, board policies, administrative procedures, and other topics relevant to school board meetings.

What the Media Can Expect at School Board Meetings

At meetings, the media can expect the board to:

  • Supply reporters with the same materials that are provided to board members, with the exception of confidential items.
  • Seat reporters at a location where they can see and hear the proceedings.
  • Follow Parliamentary Procedure as outlined in Robert’s Rules of Order. How “formal” these procedures are depends on local custom.
  • Summarize major points of discussion and make sure everyone present, reporters included, understands the action taken by the board on each issue. This is a job of the board president.
  • Operate at its own pace and not be mindful of media deadlines. Media members are encouraged to follow up if important topics are not addressed in time.

Members of the media will need to take their own notes. Meeting minutes are always taken, but are not published until after they are approved, usually at the next meeting. 

Developing a board/media relationship based on trust, understanding, and transparency sets the scene for fairness, accuracy, and connection. 

What You’ll See at the School Board Meeting

A school board meeting is the board of education business meeting. 

The Agenda: The board sets its agenda and follows it. A typical and traditional school board meeting agenda includes these items, but the order can vary based on local custom:

  1. Call to order and roll call
  2. Public participation
  3. Communications and petitions
  4. Consent agenda
  5. Action items
  6. Information and reports
  7. Adjournment

The board may discuss items not on the agenda but cannot take action on any matter not listed for action on the agenda.

What You Will Not See During a School Board Meeting

Back & Forth: A board meeting is a public meeting, but it is not a meeting of the public. Although a board meeting includes time for public comment, there is no expectation that the board answer questions or enter into dialogue with the public or the media during the meeting. This is best practice, although it can be frustrating for all parties.

Snap Decisions: As noted above, if an item is not on the agenda, the board cannot vote on it. Issues raised during public participation may be added to future agendas or referred to administrative staff. This gives the concern the full, thoughtful, well-prepared discussion the public deserves.

In-Depth Discussion of National Issues: Board meetings are generally not a resource for national or big-picture topics (religion in schools, school vouchers, climate change as it relates to education). That’s not to say school officials can’t be resources on such topics, but they rarely come up in the meeting.

The Closed Session: As stipulated under OMA, board meetings are public, with specific exceptions under which the board may enter a closed session. The exceptions include, among others, the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees; matters directly related to school safety and security, current or pending litigation, and student privacy issues, including disciplinary cases. The public and media are not allowed in closed session. No final board action may be taken in closed session. If action is to be taken after a closed meeting, the board returns to the public meeting to vote. Note that employment and student privacy issues are discussed in closed session.

And Now, A Word About Policy

Every Illinois school board is responsible for developing and maintaining a comprehensive board policy manual. Boards use written board policies to guide their work and to direct the superintendent’s work in administering the district. The board policy manual is updated periodically to ensure compliance with changing state/federal laws, court cases, and community standards. The district’s board policy manual must be posted and available to the public. A reporter who wants to know more about a policy, or a reference to policy made in a meeting, can look at the district’s website. Most school districts in Illinois use PRESS, the IASB policy and procedure information and updating service.

The IASB Resolutions Process

Resolutions adopted through the annual IASB Resolutions Process become IASB Position Statements. Position Statements determine the direction of the Association’s advocacy efforts, legislative agenda, and related matters of public policy. The Resolutions Process can come up in a board meeting in the spring, if a board is considering proposing a resolution; and in the early fall, when the board is discussing the year’s proposals. 

IASB Can Help Answer Media Questions

The Illinois Association of School Boards is a voluntary organization of local boards of education dedicated to strengthening public schools through local control.  The Association’s constitution provides that major policies be established by an annual Delegate Assembly and places governance in the hands of an elected board of directors.

IASB can help members of the media with their questions about how boards of education work and what they are talking about. Contact Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director for Communications, via email or phone, with questions.