IASB Board Welcomes New Members, Approves Areas of Focus

The IASB Board welcomed five of its newest directors to the quarterly business meeting on June 7 in Springfield. Board action included approving the Association budget and strategic plan for the fiscal year starting July 1.

New directors attending their first board meeting were Jason Cowen (East Peoria SD 86) representing the Central Illinois Valley Division; Stephanie Neuman (New Berlin CUSD 16) representing the Abe Lincoln Division; Mark Rising (Indian Prairie CUSD 204) representing the DuPage Division; Carlos Rivas Jr. representing Chicago Public Schools; and Vernon Stubblefield (Cairo SD 1) representing the Shawnee Division.

Before the meeting, new directors and their mentors attended an orientation session. Directors learned how to access board meeting information and the board’s annual work calendar. They also reviewed the IASB Constitution and learned about the board's policies and terms outlining its role in monitoring compliance.

As the June business meeting marked the board's final meeting in the current fiscal year, Executive Director Kimberly A. Small, J.D., reported on progress made to meet or exceed the Association’s strategic areas of focus. She emphasized the successful prioritization of division events, leadership, and training, the timely improvements to website access for newly elected board members, and the valuable student additions to Joint Annual Conference programming and Conference feedback collected from partner organizations.

Small presented the new focus areas for Fiscal Year 2026, beginning July 1, for the board's approval. The board endorsed IASB’s focus on three key areas:

1. In-District Touchpoints aimed to strengthen member relationships, increase participation, and enhance IASB’s overall impact on public education.
2. Advocacy Support to elevate member engagement toward advocacy to impact public K-12 education policy and legislation.
3. Technology-Driven Efficiency to improve business operations by leveraging technology to enhance productivity and drive data-informed decision-making.

Small presented, and the board approved, the FY26 budget, noting sizable reinvestments in member services, including outreach and training, advocacy support, and policy services support, and no increase to member dues.

The Board approved amended language to 19 proposed Constitutional amendments that will be presented to the full IASB membership at the Delegate Assembly in November. A separate meeting was held before the board meeting for directors to review and discuss the proposed changes brought forth via a Constitution Review Committee. This meeting allowed the directors to thoroughly review and discuss the proposed changes and rationale for each change. The Board has a policy that requires review of the Constitution at least every other year.

Information about proposed amendments to the IASB Constitution will be included in the 2025 Resolutions Committee Report, which will be posted online and sent to all member boards in September. IASB will also host a series of webinars to educate members in the months leading up to the November 22 Delegate Assembly.

Other information shared with the board that did not require action included updates on Division Meetings, Joint Annual Conference planning and registration, discussions with the State Board of Education and Illinois Balanced Accountability Model, Vision 2030 advocacy framework, and national activities with the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA).

The IASB Board will meet again on August 22-23. Approved board meeting minutes are available to members on the IASB website.