Policy Page: Building Community Connections Through Policy
By John FinesLast month, I was working with a school board’s policy committee in a conference room, the table covered with copies of their policy manual. We had already covered familiar ground in governance operations, curriculum, and safety, carefully balancing compliance with state and federal rules while also capturing the board’s unique mission and values in the latest round of editing.
But when we reached the final section of their manual, Community Relations, the room grew quiet. Finally, one of them broke the silence. “This is the part where we struggle the most,” they admitted. “We really want to engage with the community, but we’re just not sure how to start.”
If you’ve ever felt that hesitation, you’re far from alone. Boards across Illinois routinely experience challenges in navigating community relations. This section does not only direct compliance with state and federal laws; it asks boards to define how their district engages with its community.
That task can feel daunting. IASB’s PRESS — Policy Reference Education Subscription Service — provides a comprehensive foundation, but the accompanying footnotes make clear that this section requires local deliberation. Community relations is where a board’s philosophy, priorities, and vision must come through.
Developing a Plan
The first step for any board seeking to strengthen community engagement is to develop a clear plan. Policy 8:10, (Connection with the Community), provides boards with a framework for outlining how the board intends to engage with stakeholders. The first section of this policy functions as the public relations strategy for the district, with the important distinction that the board president serves as the spokesperson for the school board, while the superintendent is the district’s chief spokesperson. PRESS leaves space for boards to identify strategies tailored to their local conditions, whether that means holding regular listening sessions, establishing advisory councils, leveraging digital platforms for two-way communication, or something else.
The latter half of this policy focuses on community engagement, which seeks to establish dialogue and collaborative thinking between the district and the community. Engagement is less about information-sharing, and more about relationship-building. It challenges boards to ensure that all voices are heard and represented in the decision-making process, and to build structures and processes that will encourage ongoing feedback.
By creating a community engagement plan, boards can set expectations for how they will communicate district priorities, seek community input, and provide them with a way in which they can review the plan’s effectiveness.
Inviting the Community In
Once a board has established its vision for community engagement, that vision can expand to other policies. Policy 8:20, (Community Use of School Facilities), covers how district buildings and grounds may be used by outside groups. While often treated as a facilities-management issue, this policy can also be an extension of the board’s philosophy on community partnership. Does the district view its schools as community hubs, open and accessible for local organizations, or as limited-use facilities where access is tightly controlled? What fees, if any, will the district charge for the use of district facilities? Will the grounds be made available to individuals for personal or social reasons, such as using the gymnasium for family reunions? Can district grounds be used to host business enterprises for commercial gain, like a community garage sale?
Clarifying this in policy ensures consistency, fairness, and alignment with the district’s broader engagement goals. A well-thought-out community use policy helps form a picture of how the district interacts with its community, not just in formal meetings, but in everyday ways schools serve as gathering places, resources, and centers of civic life.
Sharing Information Responsibly
Boards must also decide how community groups may use the district as a channel for communication. Policy 8:25, (Advertising and Distributing Materials in Schools Provided by Non-School Related Entities), addresses this question directly. PRESS offers legally sound options that range from allowing broad distribution to prohibiting it entirely, with nuances in between.
The decisions made in this policy should reflect the community’s culture. Some districts choose to allow nonprofit groups to share information while prohibiting commercial advertising altogether. Others take a broader approach, permitting both nonprofit and commercial opportunities, whether through flyers or physical spaces such as scoreboards, athletic fields, or gymnasium banners.
Whatever approach a board adopts, the key is clarity and consistency. A well-crafted policy provides a transparent framework so that community members know what is permissible and administrators are not left to make ad hoc, case-by-case decisions.
Bringing It All Together
Community relations policies invite boards to look towards building connections with the people they serve. Customizing these policies requires thoughtful deliberation, but it also offers a valuable opportunity. When a board takes the time to define how their schools will open their doors, share information, and build lasting partnerships, it communicates more than rules and procedures. It communicates values.
By utilizing IASB’s PRESS sample policies and footnotes as a foundation, boards can craft policies that not only set the guidelines for community engagement, but also strengthen the ties between schools and the people they serve.
John Fines is Director of Policy Services for the Illinois Association of School Boards.