Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by any Active Member, Association Division, or the Association’s Board of Directors upon majority vote of the Active Member’s school board, the Active Members that make up the Association’s Division, or the Association’s Board of Directors. 

A breakdown of the vote taken in support of the amendment must be submitted along with the proposed amendment to the Constitution. Per the Constitution, proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Board of Directors at least 105 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Delegate Assembly. To timely submit a proposed constitutional amendment to be considered by the Board of Directors, the proposed constitutional amendment, along with a rationale and breakdown of the vote, should be submitted via email to the IASB Governmental Relations team. Although the 105-day deadline varies based on the date of the Delegate Assembly, proposed constitutional amendments submitted by August 1 allow IASB staff sufficient time to include the proposed amendment in the IASB Board of Director’s August board packet.

The IASB Board of Directors Governance policy requires a constitutional review at least every two years.*

Below is the timeline for the biannual Constitution review process: 

• August: Each August, the Executive Director notifies the Board of Directors of any timely submitted proposed constitutional amendments at the August Board of Director’s meeting. Those proposed constitutional amendments are added to the list of proposed changes to be considered by the Constitution Review Committee when it next meets.
• September-October: In each even-numbered year, the Executive Director conducts a review of the Constitution and prepares a list of proposed changes to be considered by the Constitution Review Committee, including those proposed changes timely submitted by members.
• November: In each even-numbered year, the Executive Director provides a report to the Board of Directors at its November Board of Directors meeting of all proposed changes that the Constitution Review Committee will consider.
• January: In each odd-numbered year, the IASB Board of Directors’ President appoints a Constitution Review Committee to review and recommend changes based on the Executive Director’s report, including any proposed amendments that have been timely submitted by members.
• February – March: In each odd-numbered year, the work of the Constitution Review Committee begins in February and is completed by March. Members of the committee vote on all recommended constitutional amendments.
• April-May: In each odd-numbered year, proposed changes go to the Board of Director’s Policy Review Committee for review before going to the Executive Committee for review before being submitted to the full Board of Directors.
• June: In each odd-numbered year, the Board of Directors reviews and approves proposed changes for presentation to the Delegate Assembly. If the Board of Directors cannot complete the proposed changes within 105 days prior to the Delegate Assembly, the Board may vote to authorize the Executive Committee to approve the proposed changes.
• November: In each odd-numbered year, the final recommendations from the Board of Directors or Executive Committee will then be sent to the Delegate Assembly for member vote.

* The Board of Directors may create a Constitution Review Committee in the interim years, as it deems necessary. 

A Constitution Review Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors’ President. It is generally made up of 12-15 members, including Board of Directors members, Resolutions Committee members, and Members-at-Large. This ad-hoc committee reviews the executive director’s recommendations and seeks input from both IASB members and staff. The Constitution Review Committee votes on all recommended constitutional changes and submits those recommendations to the IASB Policy Committee, and then the Executive Committee before ultimately reaching the IASB Board of Directors. The IASB Board of Directors reviews and approves recommendations from the Constitution Review Committee, via recommendations by the Policy Review Committee and Executive Committee.

Information about proposed constitutional amendments is included in the Resolutions Committee Report, which is posted online and sent to all member boards in September. It includes all the information to be voted on at the November Delegate Assembly, which takes place at IASB’s Joint Annual Conference. In addition to Resolutions submitted by members for consideration, the Resolutions Committee Report includes any proposed amendments to the IASB Constitution and the rationale for each proposed change. Additionally, in-person and virtual opportunities are provided to members to learn more about the constitutional amendments being considered.

Each school board that is a member of the Association is entitled to one voting delegate at the Delegate Assembly. Every member board is encouraged to select one individual board member to serve as its primary voting delegate, as well as an alternate that would serve in the event that the primary delegate becomes unavailable. Delegates should review each proposed constitutional amendment with their full board before determining a vote.

The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of all delegates present and voting at an official meeting of the IASB Delegate Assembly, held during the Joint Annual Conference. At the Delegate Assembly, discussion is held before votes are taken. Delegates vote on the Board of Directors’ recommendations to amend the Constitution. Voting must be done in person (though a delegate is not required to be registered for the Joint Annual Conference). Given the biannual review, constitutional amendments will be heard during the Delegate Assembly in odd-numbered years unless the Board determines to hold an interim Constitution Review Committee.

The Delegate Assembly vote determines the final decision on all constitutional amendments. If approved by the Delegate Assembly, the amendments become effective immediately. IASB distributes the Constitution and Position Statements to its members at the beginning of each calendar year following the Delegate Assembly.