Board of Education

Agendas & Minutes

All meetings listed will be held at Normal West High School – 501 N. Parkside Rd., Normal unless otherwise indicated.

Barring any technical difficulties, regular board meetings will be live streamed.

Please note, this is a tentative schedule and could change. Special Board Meeting and Board Committee meetings will be scheduled and posted as needed.

• Roll Call *
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Focus on Students and Good News Reports
• Public Comments * Please review Board Policy 2.230 Public Comments at Board Meetings and Petitions to the Board
• Reports/Discussion
• Action Items
• Consent Agenda
  • Approval of Minutes
  • Personnel Matters
  • Payment of Bills and Payrolls
  • Treasurer's Report and Other Financial Reports
  • Other

Reports/Discussion Announcements/Board Member Comments/Adjourn *Items marked with an asterisk shall be included in the agenda for all Board meetings. Upon request of the president or consent of a majority of members present, the order of business at any meeting may be changed. Closed meetings are held as necessary within the above structure and according to the provisions provided in Section 2(c) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1. 

The Board adheres to the Open Meetings Act, set forth by the Illinois General Assembly. Click here to learn more.

Special Meetings

The Order of Business for special meetings will follow the same format as at regular meetings with agenda items included as needed.

Discussion and/or action at special meetings is restricted to those items listed on the agenda or reasonably related thereto. It is appropriate at special meetings for the public to restrict it's comments solely to agenda items. 

policies manual                     administrative procedures manual

Policies

The Unit 5 Board of Education is accountable to the public for governance of the District. Written policies are the conditions of accountability, providing the criteria by which the public is ensured that the Board, and therefore the District, is responsive to the educational desires of the community.  Policies ensure legal compliance, establish Board processes, articulate district ends, delegate authority, and define operating limits.

The Policy Manual is a collection of policies, formally adopted by the Board of Education, to provide principles and guidelines for discretionary action by the District’s administrators.  The formulation, adoption, and modification of District policies are solely at the discretion of the Board of Education, subject only to mandatory collective bargaining agreements. 

The policies included in the Unit 5 Board of Education Policy Manual cover all aspects of District management.  The manual is divided into eight sections.  A description of each section follows:

 Section 1 -  School District Organization

     This section contains policies that establish the District as a legal entity, identify its organization, and include philosophy and mission statements.

Section 2 - Board of Education

     Policies in this section cover the Board:  its powers and duties, how its members are elected, the organization of the Board, how it conducts meetings, and how the Board operates.

Section 3 - General School Administration

     This section contains policies specifically for the administration, including line/staff relationships, qualifications for administrators, hiring of administrators, and administrative responsibility.

Section 4 - Operational Services

     Policies regarding school finances, budgeting, purchases, accounting and audits, facility services for students, insurance programs, facility management, transportation, safety, and how facilities are named are included in this section.

Section 5 - Personnel

     The Personnel section has three sub-sections:  General – those policies applicable to all district employees; Certified – policies applicable to certificated staff; and Educational Support – policies for employees who provide technical and logistical support.  Policy contents includes equal employment, sexual harassment, hiring, leaves, records, resignations, and retirements.  Conditions established by mandated collective bargaining agreements take precedent over policies.

Section 6 - Instruction

     This section contains policies on the District’s instructional program:  goals and objectives, the basic program, special programs, instructional resources, guidance and counseling, and assessment and achievement.

Section 7 - Students

     This section’s policies deal with equity, admission, attendance, student rights and responsibilities, conduct, discipline, welfare services, student activities, and student records.

Section 8 - School/Community Relations

     This section contains policies that address how the school and community relate to each other.  Specifically in this section, policies cover community use of District facilities, public relations, school visitors, parent organizations, parent involvement, gifts to the District, spectators’ conduct during co-curricular events, conduct on District property, and public concerns.

Administrative Procedures and Exhibits

Written administrative procedures and exhibits are developed to guide the implementation of adopted policies as needed. They can be found in the policy manual.

Policy Dissemination

The official policy manual shall remain in the custody of the Superintendent at the office of the Board of Education, 1809 West Hovey Avenue, Normal, IL 61761-4339.  Additionally, all current policies may be accessed on the Unit 5 website at www.unit5.org.

Board Members' Training and Development Activities

The District is required to post on its website the names of all Board members who have completed professional development leadership training (required for Board members taking office after June 13, 2011). 

Each Board member must complete training on the Open Meetings Act. 

After the implementation of the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) evaluations, each Board member participating in PERA evaluations must complete a training program. 

To view a current listing of Board Members' training, please click on link below: 

Training

For additional information about Illinois Compiled Statute 105 ILCS 5/10-16a,  please click on the link below:

  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=010500050K10-16a

There are currently no active notices. When a notices is made, it will be posted here.

The Board of Education is interested in receiving valid concerns and suggestions from members of the community. Any individual may make a suggestion or express a concern at any District or school office. All concerns and/or suggestions will be referred to the appropriate level staff member or District administrator who is most able to respond in a timely manner. Each concern or suggestion shall be considered on its merits.

An individual, not satisfied after following the channels of authority, may file a grievance under the Uniform Grievance Procedure. This policy shall not be construed to create an independent right to a hearing before the Board.

The Unit 5 Administration is interested in receiving and processing valid concerns of its constituency in an appropriate sequence. Each concern shall be considered on its merits and every effort will be made to resolve issues in a positive and professional manner.

The following steps are recommended when a concern is registered against a person, policy, or procedure. Each step/action taken will depend upon the severity of the concern and may be adjusted accordingly. All concerns will be processed to completion using the following guidelines.

Step 1

All concerns should be directed to the individual(s) involved. In an attempt to resolve differences at this level, all parties involved should participate in the process. This may include a personal conference, a telephone conversation, or a written communication.

Step 2

• The following actions will be taken upon receipt of the Concern Resolution Form.
• Any concern or series of concerns that are requested to be placed in a staff member’s personnel file or that may result in disciplinary action shall be brought to the attention of the staff member as soon as possible.
• The building administrator will schedule a conference with the concerned party or parties and the staff member involved to review the concern(s). A copy of the Concern Resolution Form will be provided for all parties.
• The building principal/designee will conduct an investigation based on the documents submitted and the information discussed at the conference.
• The building administrator will provide a written recommendation for resolution to all parties.

Step 3

• The Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources will conduct a hearing involving all parties.
• The Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources will complete a written recommendation within seven days of the hearing completion. All materials reviewed will be considered for placement in a staff member’s personnel file.

This procedure shall not be construed to create an independent right to a hearing before the Board. An individual not satisfied after following the outlined procedures may file a grievance under Board policy 2.260.

Amended by the Board of Education: February 10, 2010