The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Board looking at having IASB control U-46 policies

By Seth Hancock
  Why do voters elect a board of education?
  That’s the question one attendee at the Monday, Aug. 23 board meeting in School District U-46 quietly asked in response to Sue Kerr, the board’s president, suggesting the board cede control over to the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), a lobbyist group for government-run schools, in writing the board’s policies.
  “You can actually have them maintain your policy and send you suggested updates,” Kerr said. “So, instead of us going through our policies, policy by policy, to see what law has changed and see what we need to change, they will send us a summary of all changes.”
  Kerr then asked the board if it wanted to move forward to “begin to convert our policy to make it look more like what IASB has?” The board generally agreed, and Kerr said she would look into the costs.
  Board member Kate Thommes said “it doesn’t cost anything to learn more about it,” and board member John Devereux said “it’s a significant amount of work” to go through policies and “it makes sense” to use the IASB to do their job.
  Trisha Olson, chief legal officer, said it’s a “wonderful efficiency” and a “check and balance” to make sure they are following the dictates of the state rather than exerting local control. Kerr said “we’re governed by policy” and admitted the state effectively dictates their policy already as they “follow exactly what they (IASB) recommend” or at least “sort of follow it.”
  This comes as U-46 also wants the IASB to lobby to allow them to not have to appear in person for meetings, even after the emergency dictates regarding COVID-19 are over.
  “That’s another distance between you guys and the people who elected you. It’s not a good idea,” Linda Sabo said during the Aug. 9 meeting’s public comments.
  Board member Dawn Martin offered another suggestion at the Aug. 23 meeting, that holding more informal meetings like town halls.
  “We could possibly look at doing in the future just as a way to improve community relations and just keep open communication,” Martin said.