Membership to Vote on Proposed IASB Constitution Changes
-
Date PostedAugust 12, 2025
-
CategoryNews
The Illinois Association of School Boards will present a set of changes to the IASB Constitution for a vote by the membership at the 2025 Delegate Assembly.
The proposed changes include new language in several articles.
Proposed changes to Article II. Membership, would clarify classes of membership and eligibility and adds Career and Technical Education centers governed by the Vocational Education Act to those allowed to be Affiliate Members. It also specifies that only IASB member school boards (the Active Member classification) shall be allowed to participate in Delegate Assembly, which is in line with current practice.
A change is proposed to Article III. Delegate Assembly and Annual Conference to allow for an alternative method of voting at the Delegate Assembly, if recommended by the Resolutions Committee and approved by the Board of Directors, should circumstances dictate.
Proposed changes to Article IV Elections would change terms of office for IASB officers, who lead the Board of Directors, from one to two years, aligning with the length of time that IASB officers traditionally serve in their roles and to align with most local members’ practices. A second change to Article IV Elections clarifies election processes.
Additional changes will be presented on
The IASB Constitution is scheduled for review every two years.
“What this will do to is give members more clarity about how our organization works,” says IASB Executive Director Kimberly Small. “And when people understand how the organization works, they have more confidence to participate in it. So the goal of many of these amendments is to provide transparency and more clarity.”
The 2025 IASB Constitution Review Committee was an ad-hoc committee with 15 members, including Directors, Resolutions Committee members, and Members-at-Large. The Constitution Review Process, the work of this committee, included reviewing IASB staff recommendations and was completed in the spring. The proposed changes went to the Board’s Policy Review Committee and then to the April Executive Committee meeting. The Board of Directors reviewed and approved the proposed changes at its June meeting.
The proposed constitutional amendments will be sent to the Delegate Assembly in November for approval.
Members seeking more information about the Constitution Review Committee process and the proposed amendments to the IASB Constitution should attend the September 11 webinar, IASB Proposed Constitutional Changes and reviewing the Resolutions Committee Report that will be distributed to each member district and posted on the IASB website in early September. The report will include guidance for boards to review/discuss the proposed constitutional amendments and will include the agenda for the Delegate Assembly, during which action will be taken on the proposed changes.
The proposed changes include new language in several articles.
Proposed changes to Article II. Membership, would clarify classes of membership and eligibility and adds Career and Technical Education centers governed by the Vocational Education Act to those allowed to be Affiliate Members. It also specifies that only IASB member school boards (the Active Member classification) shall be allowed to participate in Delegate Assembly, which is in line with current practice.
A change is proposed to Article III. Delegate Assembly and Annual Conference to allow for an alternative method of voting at the Delegate Assembly, if recommended by the Resolutions Committee and approved by the Board of Directors, should circumstances dictate.
Proposed changes to Article IV Elections would change terms of office for IASB officers, who lead the Board of Directors, from one to two years, aligning with the length of time that IASB officers traditionally serve in their roles and to align with most local members’ practices. A second change to Article IV Elections clarifies election processes.
Additional changes will be presented on
- Article V. Board of Directors, updating language to align with practice;
- Article VII. Committees, specifying the Immediate Past President as chair of the Nominating Committee;
- Article VIII. Divisions, establishing Division Governing Committee training;
- Article IX. Resolutions, clarifying Resolutions Process requirements for submitted resolutions and appeals, adjusting the timeline for the Resolutions Process, and establishing an annual review of existing Position Statements;
- Article XI. Miscellaneous, adding a new section on emergency declarations;
- Article XII. Amendments, requires that a majority of the entity proposing an amendment to the Constitution supports the proposed amendment prior to its being submitted on that entity's behalf.
The IASB Constitution is scheduled for review every two years.
“What this will do to is give members more clarity about how our organization works,” says IASB Executive Director Kimberly Small. “And when people understand how the organization works, they have more confidence to participate in it. So the goal of many of these amendments is to provide transparency and more clarity.”
The 2025 IASB Constitution Review Committee was an ad-hoc committee with 15 members, including Directors, Resolutions Committee members, and Members-at-Large. The Constitution Review Process, the work of this committee, included reviewing IASB staff recommendations and was completed in the spring. The proposed changes went to the Board’s Policy Review Committee and then to the April Executive Committee meeting. The Board of Directors reviewed and approved the proposed changes at its June meeting.
The proposed constitutional amendments will be sent to the Delegate Assembly in November for approval.
Members seeking more information about the Constitution Review Committee process and the proposed amendments to the IASB Constitution should attend the September 11 webinar, IASB Proposed Constitutional Changes and reviewing the Resolutions Committee Report that will be distributed to each member district and posted on the IASB website in early September. The report will include guidance for boards to review/discuss the proposed constitutional amendments and will include the agenda for the Delegate Assembly, during which action will be taken on the proposed changes.
