The Board of Education (BOE) sets policy and goals, with input from all district stakeholders. The BOE hires the Superintendent, with input from administrators, staff and other stakeholders, to achieve district goals, implement policy and manage the day-to-day operations of the schools. As part of policy setting, the BOE also addresses and plans the implementation of state mandates and adheres to applicable regulations, such as the Open Meetings Act, which limits the manner in which issues are deliberated and resolved to promote transparency.
What does the Township High School District 113 Board of Education do?
The D113 Board of Education (BOE) is a governing body consisting of seven elected community members from all areas served by the district, including Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Bannockburn and Riverwoods. Elections are held every two years; members serve 4-year terms, unless a seat opens up unexpectedly.
The BOE, “sits in trust for its entire local community,”[1] to set policy, make decisions and approve actions; its powers are granted by the Illinois School Code. The BOE sets policy; it does not run the schools. One of its most important jobs is to hire the Superintendent, with input from administrators, staff and other stakeholders, to implement policy and manage the day-to-day operations of the schools.
As part of policy setting, the BOE also addresses and plans the implementation of state mandates. The BOE works with the Superintendent in the management of a business; however this business is a public entity that is bound by specific and enforced laws. Hiring and firing employees is regulated by law; hiring contractors is regulated; the process of outsourcing work is regulated; how the BOE works together is limited by stipulations in the Open Meetings.
What is the time commitment for serving on the Township High School District 113 Board of Education?
There is no set list of responsibilities for BOE members. The BOE functions as a unit: no one person singly represents the BOE and, though the BOE has power, individual members do not. If one were to summarize responsibilities of individual members, one might broadly say: learn, think, act and communicate. A very high level summary of sample commitment during normal times is in the table below:
| Responsibility | Tasks | Estimated Time |
| Learn | Learn protocols, laws, financial processes, etiquette | 4+ hours |
| Review policies, presentations | 2-5 hours/ BOE mtg | |
| Think/Act | COW meetings (Closed Session) | 1.5-2 hours |
| Business Meetings (Open Session) | 2-4 hours | |
| Committee meetings | 1-5 hours/ month | |
| Communicate | Emails, phone calls, individual meetings |
1-10 hours/ week |
I would like to run as a candidate for the Township High School District 113 Board of Education. What do I need to do?
To run for office, a candidate must follow a regulated, multi-step process to “file”. Detailed information about filings and requirements can be found online at Lake County Clerk’s office in Waukegan. In particular, the candidate's guide provides the information needed to successfully submit a filing for the Board of Education, as well as other offices.
In general, each candidate must file the following papers:
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Statement of Candidacy;
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Receipt for the filing of a Statement of Economic Interests;
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Loyalty Oath (optional);
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Nominating petition sheets (containing a sufficient number of original signatures) or Certificate of Nomination by Party Caucus.
For District 113, petitions must be signed by at least 50 qualified voters who reside within the district. It is important that Board candidates and petition circulators understand the detailed rules and requirements around the completion and filing of these petitions.
The approximate filing date timeline for the Township District 113 Board of Education is around December 12-19, 2022. Please consult the county clerk's office for exact dates and requirements.
How do I seek Caucus endorsement for the Township High School District 113 Board of Education candidacy?
Individuals interested in running for the Board of Education are encouraged to seek District 113 Caucus endorsement. Candidates should to email the caucus at [email protected] as soon as possible, but no later than October 31, to alert the caucus officers of their intent to run for the BOE. From a candidate's perspective, the endorsement process is as follows:
- October 31, 2022: Desired date for interested individuals seeking caucus endorsement to inform caucus leadership (at [email protected]) of their intent to run for one of the open BOE positions.
- Approximately November 1, 2022: District 113 School Board Caucus to make the candidate application/questionnaire available to prospective candidates for completion.
- November 5, 2022: Final deadline for interested individuals seeking caucus endorsement to inform caucus leadership (at [email protected]) of their intent to run for one of the open BOE positions and to request candidate application/questionnaire.
- November 8, 2022 at 11:59 pm: Completed candidate questionnaires are due back to the caucus at [email protected] in order to be considered for endorsement.
- November 16 and 17, 2022: Candidate Endorsement Meetings: Board candidates appear 'virtually' via videoconference before the caucus to present themselves and answer questions from the caucus. This 'interview' is typically 20-30 minutes per candidate.
- November 17, 2022: Endorsement Meeting following the interviews. The caucus meets in private to determine whether to endorse up to four candidates for the four open board seats and announces the results in the following days.
The above timing has been set primarily to allow candidates to know whether or not they are "caucus-endorsed" prior to the required county filing deadline.
The chair and vice-chair of the District 113 caucus are available to anyone interested or potentially interested in running for the District 113 BOE. We can provide input on BOE requirements and expectations. We can also provide input on the caucus process and considerations. Anyone interested in a conversation should simply email [email protected].
[1] Guide to Recruiting School Board Candidates; Illinois Association of School Boards; p. 2