In Illinois, public education is the State's constitutional reponsibility. The State delegates the authority to govern school districts to local school boards. Boards are made up of seven district residents elected to serve staggered terms of four years without pay. So, although the Board of Education for District 121 is politically responsible to District voters, it is legally responsible to the State of Illinois.
The Board’s job is to:
- adopt goals and policies that meet State requirements and reflect community needs;
- provide the resources necessary to pursue its goals according to its policies; and
- monitor District 121 performance to see that results are consistent with goals and policies.
Among the Board’s legal duties are:
- directing what shall be taught and what textbooks are used;
- hiring necessary personnel and setting their salaries;
- letting all contracts and paying all bills, and arranging for the revenue necessary to operate District 121.
Individual Board members may not act alone or make decisions binding upon the Board or District 121.
