School Board Member Professional Development Participation
RLAS-116 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
Superintendent / Board
Procedure:
Staff Survey Management & Scheduling Process
Effective Date:
6/2/2025
Revised Date:
Type of Process:
☒ Internal Procedure
☐District Procedure
Authority
Board of Education / Superintendent’s Office
Purpose
To establish clear, equitable, and fiscally responsible guidelines governing Round Lake Area Schools CUSD #116 Board of Education members’ participation in local, state, and national professional development and advocacy activities.
Scope
This procedure applies to all elected and appointed members of the RLAS-116 Board of Education.
Definitions
Local: Events held within the greater Chicago/northern Illinois area.
Travel: Statewide or national events that require overnight travel.
Regular: Recurring, scheduled events that support general Board operations and governance.
Unique: Specialized or infrequent opportunities tied to emerging educational policy or district strategies priorities.
Guiding Principles
Equity: All Board members should have equal access to development opportunities.
Alignment: Activities must support District #116’s Strategic Plan and Board governance policies.
Fiduciary Responsibility: Resources must be allocated responsibly, balancing benefit and cost.
Exceptions
Emergency or mandated surveys (e.g., state compliance, legal matters) may bypass the full review process but must be communicated to the Communications Department for calendar placement.
Steps
Annual Participation Guidelines
1
Local Opportunities
Board members are encouraged to attend all locally hosted events, such as:
No pre-approval required.
2
Regular Opportunities
Each Board member may attend:
No pre-approval required.
3
Annual Opportunities
Each Board member may attend:
One (1) Annual Travel-based event (e.g., NSBA, COSSBA)
One (1) Annual Local-based event (e.g., IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference)
Requires notification to the Board President for coordination and registration.
4
Unique Opportunities
Requests outside the routine schedule must be submitted in writing to the Board President and must demonstrate:
Clear alignment with one or more Strategic Plan themes
Connection to current/pending legislation
Relevance to an emerging or critical issue in education
Examples of Unique opportunities include:
ED-RED Advocacy Day
National School Safety Symposium
NSBA Advocacy and Equity Institute
COSSBA Legislative Conference
Approval is at the discretion of the Board President. The Board President must submit their own requests to the Chair of the Finance Committee for approval.
Steps
Reporting & Documentation
1
A calendar of approved professional development events will be maintained by the Superintendent’s Office.
2
Board members shall submit a brief written or verbal summary of key learnings to the full Board within 30 days of attending travel-based and local-based events.
3
Registration, travel, and per diem requests must comply with district finance and reimbursement procedures.
Steps
Funding & Budget Oversight
1
A dedicated line item in the Board’s annual budget shall fund professional development.
2
The Superintendent’s Office will review budget utilization quarterly to ensure alignment with this SOP.