8:10 Community Relations
(Acrobat File)
     
 

Public Relations

The Board President is the official spokesperson for the School Board to the media.  The Superintendent or designee is the District's chief spokesperson The Superintendent or designee shall plan, implement, and evaluate a District program which will:

Inform internal and external stakeholders and encourage their involvement through accurate and consistent information that is aligned with District goals and priorities.

  • Develop public understanding of school operation.
  • Gather community attitudes and desires for the District.
  • Secure adequate financial support for a sound education program.
  • Help the community feel a more direct responsibility for the quality of education provided by their schools.
  • Earn the community’s good will, respect, and confidence.
  • Promote a genuine spirit of cooperation between the school and the community.
  • Keep the news media accurately informed.

The public relations program should include:

  • Regular news releases concerning District programs, policies, activities, and special event management for distribution by, for example, posting on the District website or sending news media.
  • News conferences and interviews as requested or needed.  The Board President and Superintendent will coordinate their respective media relations efforts.  Individuals shall not speak for the District without prior approval from the Superintendent or Board president.
  • Publications having a high quality of editorial content and effective format.  All publications shall identify the District, school, department, or classroom and shall include the name of the Superintendent, the Building Principal, and/or the author and the publication date, and
  • A website having a high quality of content and design, easily navigable by users and containing comprehensive information about District policies, programs, finance and activities.
  • Other programs which highlight the District's programs and activities.

Community Engagement

  • Community engagement is a process that the Board uses to actively involve diverse citizens in dialogue, deliberation, and collaborative thinking around common interests for the District’s schools.
  • The Board, in consultation with the Superintendent, determines the purpose(s) and objective(s) of any community engagement initiative. For each community engagement initiative, the Board will commit to the determined purpose(s) and objective(s), and provide information about the expected nature of the public’s involvement; the Superintendent or designee will identify the effective tools and tactics that will advance the Board’s purpose(s) and objective(s).
  • The Superintendent will: (1) at least annually, prepare a report of each community engagement initiative, and/or (2) prepare a final report of each community engagement initiative.
  • The Board will periodically: (1) review whether its community engagement initiatives are achieving the identified purpose(s) and objective(s), (2) consider what, if any, modifications would improve effectiveness, and (3) determine whether to continue individual initiatives.
CROSS REF.:   2:110 (Qualifications, Term, and Duties of Board Officers)

LEGAL REF.:        23 Ill. Admin. Code § 1.210.
Reviewed: December 13, 2004, November 14, 2011, January 25, 2016
Approved: January 24, 2005
Revisions: November 28, 2011, February 8, 2016