EO Extended in August
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Date PostedAugust 24, 2021
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CategoryCOVID-19
On August 20, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued another 30-day disaster declaration covering the entire state due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As this applies to school board meetings, there is now general legal consensus that public bodies can continue to meet remotely without a quorum physically present if they meet the specific requirements of Section 120/7(e) of OMA. Among these requirements is that the head of the public body (generally, the board president) makes a specific finding that an in-person meeting is not practical or prudent due to the public health emergency. As with the July disaster proclamation, the governor did not include a statewide finding that in-person meetings of a certain number of people (it had been 10 people in the past) are not feasible.
Boards should consult with their board attorney for further guidance.
As this applies to school board meetings, there is now general legal consensus that public bodies can continue to meet remotely without a quorum physically present if they meet the specific requirements of Section 120/7(e) of OMA. Among these requirements is that the head of the public body (generally, the board president) makes a specific finding that an in-person meeting is not practical or prudent due to the public health emergency. As with the July disaster proclamation, the governor did not include a statewide finding that in-person meetings of a certain number of people (it had been 10 people in the past) are not feasible.
Boards should consult with their board attorney for further guidance.
