Role Description
- Four-year term
- Responsible for fiscal oversight – steward of tax dollars
- Hire superintendent
- Support students, teachers, and administrators
School Board Governance Basics from the Illinois Association of School Boards
State of Illinois, District and Illinois School Board Association Requirements
- A United States citizen
- A Lake Forest, IL resident for at least one year preceding election
- At least 18 years of age
- A registered voter
- Not a school trustee
- Not hold an incompatible office or certain types of federal or state employment
- Per the State of Illinois School Board Association “A school board member cannot be employed by the district (employment contracts worth more than $1,000) or have any interest directly or indirectly in any contract, work, or business of the school district or in the sale of any article to the school district. Lastly, a school board member cannot be a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code, or convicted of an “infamous crime.”
- Not have a beneficial interest directly or indirectly in any contract, work, or business of the District unless permitted by State or federal law
Required Skills and Experience
- Able to commit 3 to 5 hours a week to the work
- Knowledge of the shared services of District 67 and 115
- Knowledge and awareness of current issues before District 67 or 115
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Strong collaboration skills and ability to work well within a team
- Strong listening skills
- Experience facilitating resolution of conflicting viewpoints
- Financial management skills
- Ability to work well with school district administrative staff
- Ability to represent the entire community and not surrender to special interest or partisan groups. The “entire community” includes citizens who may not have a direct relationship with the public schools.
- Ability to interact with Lake Forest citizens with respect and strong listening skills in all circumstances, particularly when facing strongly held citizen views
- Demonstrated emotional intelligence
- Demonstrated balanced decision making to incorporate the unique strength of the history of Lake Forest schools with an eye toward the future
- Not intending to pursue any particular cause or agenda
Helpful Skills and Experience
- Human resources experience
- Experience with city, charitable, and/or corporate boards
- Labor relations and employment regulation matters
- Knowledge of and experience using Robert’s Rules of Order