Citizens Advisory Council

The Council was created by the Unit 5 Board of Education in 1948 as a means of encouraging public participation in educational planning. It is currently composed of over 65 members who serve as a liaison between the district and its community. The mission of the Council is to foster district-wide dialogue and examine topics of interest.

At least five general membership meetings of the CAC are held throughout the school year. Sub-committees meet to help define and articulate community desires regarding education by preparing and presenting advisory reports to the Board. At least two members of the Board of Education and the Superintendent or a designee attend each CAC meeting.

The CAC is composed of parent representatives from each school attendance center, as well as at-large members who reside within the district, but do not have children attending Unit 5 schools during their term. Members may serve on the Council for up to five consecutive years. Application to the CAC is made at each school, with the parent organization defining its own selection process. At-large applications are submitted to the District Office. The CAC officers select at-large representatives after reviewing application forms, giving special consideration to obtaining a membership that: is committed to active participation; possesses a variety of applicable skill sets; and is representative of Unit 5 communities.

IT IS THE CAC’S MISSION TO REPRESENT THE UNIT 5 COMMUNITY BY FOSTERING DISTRICT-WIDE DIALOGUE AND EXAMINING TOPICS OF INTEREST.