Administrative Procedure - Superintendent Committees

The Superintendent or designee creates Superintendent or administrative committees as deemed necessary, makes all appointments, and directs all activities. A Superintendent or administrative committees reports to the Superintendent or administrator who directs its activities. The Superintendent or designee should consult the Board Attorney (a) concerning whether any of these committees must comply with the Open Meetings Act (OMA), and/or (b) to receive guidance for ensuring that the meetings either comply with OMA requirements or do not trigger OMA. Unless otherwise indicated, the listed Superintendent or administrative committees are optional:

Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease Program Task Force

This task force assists in the development and review of a chronic and infectious disease program consistent with the District’s policies and State and federal laws and regulations, and reports directly to the Superintendent or designee. Appointments are made to the task force only if the Superintendent or designee determines that its input is desirable. See policies 5:40, Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease; and 7:280, Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease.

Task force members include the Superintendent or designee, District medical advisor, a school nurse, and representatives from the School Board, local health department, PTA, the professional staff, and other employee groups.

Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease Review Team

This review team monitors those employees and students who have a communicable and chronic infectious disease, and:

1. Reviews individual medical case histories.

2. Recommends the most appropriate educational setting for a student, which may include temporary removal from and return to the regular educational setting.

3. Recommends the most appropriate work setting for an employee; this may include retention in his/her present position, transfer to another position, or temporary excusal from or return to his/her work assignment.

Team members include the District’s medical advisor, a school nurse, the Building Principal, and the Superintendent or designee.

The review team is guided by the Board’s policies, Ill. Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) rules and regulations, and all other applicable State and federal laws. It reports directly to the Superintendent or designee. See also policies 5:40, Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease, and 7:280, Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease. The review team consults the employee’s or the student’s personal physician and local health department officials before making any recommendations.

The Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease Review Team respects the privacy rights of each employee and student and takes such precautions as may be necessary to secure confidentiality.

Anaphylaxis, Prevention, Response, and Management Committee

This committee develops and implements the District’s Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response, and Management Program and reports directly to the Superintendent or designee. It monitors the program and establishes a schedule to ensure the Superintendent reports on the program’s effectiveness to the Board at least once every three years. See policy 7:285, Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response. and Management Program, and administrative procedure 7:285-AP,  Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response. and Management Program, based upon the Ill. State Board of Education (ISBE) Anaphylaxis Response Policy for Illinois Schools at: isbe.net/Documents/Anaphylactic-policy.... 

Committee members include District-level administrators, Building Principals, the District Safety Coordinator (see 4:170-AP1, Comprehensive Safety and Security Plan, Part C, District Safety Coordinator and Safety Team; Responsibilities), District 504 Coordinator (see policy 6:120, Education of Children with Disabilities), staff members, parents/guardians, community members, and students.

Employee Substance Abuse Prevention Committee 

This committee makes recommendations directly to the Superintendent or designee regarding the issue of employee substance abuse, and resulting employee conduct standards, and:

1. Cooperates with community and State agencies on substance abuse programs.

2. Gathers information about substance abuse and suggests methods to disseminate it to employees.

3. Develops a support network that encourages employees to self-refer for treatment and suggests procedures for early identification and treatment.

4. Recommends procedures that would protect the privacy of employees while taking into consideration any directives from the Board to the Superintendent regarding the District’s obligation to provide a safe environment and to ensure high-quality performance, which may include but not be limited to:

a.  Securing training for designated district employees to educate them to identify symptoms of being impaired by or under the influence of substances prohibited by policy.  For guidance about what impaired by or under the influence of means, see:

1. Footnote discussions in numbers five and six in policy 5:50, Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace; E-Cigarette, Tobacco, and Cannabis Prohibition;

2. 625 ILCS 5/11-501.2 and 5/11-501.9, amended by P.A. 101-27 (chemical and other tests, validity, etc., a/k/a field sobriety tests);

3. 410 ILCS 705/10-50(d), added by P.A. 101-27 (“An employer may consider an employee to be impaired or under the influence of cannabis if the employer has a good faith belief that an employee manifests specific articulable symptoms while working that decrease or lessen the employee’s performance of the duties or tasks of the employee’s job position, including symptoms of the employee’s speech, physical dexterity, agility, coordination, demeanor, irrational or unusual behavior, or negligence or carelessness in operating equipment or machinery; disregard for the safety of the employee or others, or involvement in any accident that results in serious damage to equipment or property; disruption of a production or manufacturing process; or carelessness that results in any injury to the employee or others.”).  Note:  Consult the Board Attorney about identifying cannabis use)); and

4. Professional development opportunities in the area, e.g., local law enforcement agencies may be a place to begin.

b.  Implementing a reasonable suspicion and/or drug testing program(s) to enhance the District’s ability to identify and discipline employees suspected of being impaired by and/or under the influence of prohibited substances.  Note:  Consult the Board Attorney before implementing any drug-testing program(s) or disciplining employees based upon the results of these programs.  Drug testing will likely assist the District with the challenges of identifying cannabis-related issues, but the science behind impairment identification and behavioral testing for cannabis impairment is new and emerging.

c.  Addressing expectations for employees in positions of leadership who are perpetually on call due to the nature of their positions and responsibilities. 

d.  Holding licensed educators to a higher standard than non-licensed employees due to their professional code of conduct expectations.

e.  Holding employees working directly with students to a higher standard than employees not working directly with students.

5.  Recommends a method to explicitly inform employees of the consequences of violating the District’s policy.

6.  Recommends best practices for discipline of employees who are suspected of violating or are violating the District’s policy.

Committee members include the Superintendent or designee, the District’s medical advisor/medical review officer, and employee representatives from both professional and educational support personnel. The committee is guided by Board policies, administrative procedures, and relevant State and federal statutes. See policies 5:50, Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace; E-Cigarette, Tobacco, and Cannabis Prohibition, 5:120 Employees Ethics; Conduct; and Conflict of Interest, and administrative procedures 5:120-AP2, Employee Conduct Standards.

Pandemic Planning Team

This team builds a strong relationship with the local health department and emergency medical agencies and uses their assistance to develop and implement a comprehensive pandemic influenza school action plan and build awareness of the final plan among staff, students, and the community. See policy 4:180, Pandemic Preparedness; Management; and Recovery, and its procedures.

Team members may include one or two Board members, administrators, and staff members. It reports directly to the Superintendent or designee.

Sex Equity Committee 

This committee supports the District’s efforts to eliminate sexual harassment by advising the Superintendent or designee on prevention, intervention, and education. Committee members may include community representatives, District administrators, teachers, and students. See policies 2:260, Uniform Grievance Procedure; 2:265, Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure; 5:10, Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment; 5:20, Workplace Harassment Prohibited; 5:90, Abused and Neglected Child Reporting; 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities; 7:20, Harassment of Students Prohibited; 7:180, Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment; and 7:185, Teen Dating Violence Prohibited.

School Violence Prevention Team 

This team builds awareness about and supports the development and implementation of the District’s:

1. Targeted School Violence Prevention Program. See policy 4:170, Safety; and procedure 4:170-AP7, Targeted School Violence Prevention Program.

2. Anti-bullying program, as appropriate. See policy 7:180, Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment; and procedure 7:180-AP1, Prevention, Identification, Investigation, and Response to Bullying.

All Building Principals or their designees must serve on this team. Other team members may include the District Safety Coordinator (see procedure 4:170-AP1, Comprehensive Safety and Security Plan, Part C, District Safety Coordinator and Safety Team; Responsibilities), law enforcement representatives, Board Attorney, District psychologist(s), mental health workers and/or social service agencies, faith leaders, community members, and students. It reports directly to the Superintendent or designee.

Title I Parent Advisory Committee 

This committee is required if the District receives or desires to receive Title I funds. See policy 6:170, Title I Programs; procedure 6:170-AP1, E1, District-Level Parent and Family Engagement Compact; 20 U.S.C. §§6312(a)(1)(A), 6318(a)(2)(F). The committee supports the development and implementation of the District’s Title I plan. Its activities may include, at the Superintendent or designee’s directive:

1. Facilitating the active involvement of parents/guardians in their children’s academic success by such activities as coordinating Title I parent-teacher conferences, providing information to help parents/guardians assist their children, coordinating volunteer or paid participation by parents/guardians in school activities, and establishing a process to respond to parents/guardians’ inquiries and recommendations.

2. Distributing Title I informational materials.

3. Consulting regarding the District’s Title I Plan.

4. Supporting the implementation of policy 6:170, Title I Programs.

Committee members include parents/guardians and family members of Title I children. It reports directly to the Superintendent or designee.

PERA (Performance Educational Reform Act) Joint Committee and the RIF (Reduction in Force) Joint Committee 

Each committee listed below is required until its function has been fulfilled; each reports directly to the Superintendent or designee.

1. PERA joint committee. This mandatory committee develops a plan for incorporating data and indicators of student growth into the evaluation plan. The joint committee is “composed of equal representation selected by the district and its teachers, or where applicable, the exclusive bargaining representative of its teachers.” 105 ILCS 5/24A-4(b). If, within 180 calendar days of the committee’s first meeting, the committee does not reach an agreement on the plan, the District must implement ISBE’s model evaluation plan with respect to the use of data and indicators on student growth. The amendment of an evaluation plan continues to be a mandatory subject of bargaining.  This committee also agrees to the panel of qualified evaluators that reviews appeals of unsatisfactory performance ratings and determines the criteria for successful appeals.  105 ILCS 5/24A-5.5. This committee must also establish: (a) a teacher evaluation plan that ensures that each tenured teacher whose performance is rated as either excellent or proficient is evaluated at least one in the course of the three school years after receipt of the rating, and (b) implement an informal teacher observation plan established by ISBE rule and by agreement of this committee to ensure that each tenured teacher in this category is at least informally observed at least once in the course of the two school years after receipt of the excellent or proficient rating.  105 ILCS 5/24A-5, amended by P.A. 102-252.

2. RIF joint committee. This mandatory committee convenes annually to consider issues identified in the statute concerning the selection of teachers for layoff. 105 ILCS 5/24-12(c). On or before December 1 each year, the RIF joint committee must be established and must hold its first meeting. It is composed of individuals appointed by the Board and the teachers (or the exclusive bargaining representative of its teachers).

Concussion Oversight Team

The Concussion Oversight Team is required until its function has been fulfilled; it reports directly to the Superintendent or designee. State law requires the team to establish protocols for return-to-play and return-to-learn for students who have suffered a concussion or head injury during interscholastic athletic activities. See policy 7:305, Student Athlete Concussions and Head Injuries. 105 ILCS 5/22-80(d). The Board must appoint or approve a Concussion Oversight Team. Section 22-80(d) identifies who must be on each Concussion Oversight Team. A physician, to the extent possible, must be on the Team. If the school employs an athletic trainer and/or nurse, they must be on the Team to the extent practicable. The Team must include, at a minimum, one person who is responsible for implementing and complying with the return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols adopted by the Team. Other licensed health care professionals may be appointed to serve on the Team. If it is not practicable for a physician, athletic trainer and/or nurse to be on the Team and other licensed health care professionals are not appointed to serve on the Team, the Team may be composed of only one person who need not be a licensed healthcare professional; however, that individual may not be a coach.

Wellness Committee 

The Wellness Committee includes at least one representative from each of the following groups: parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, a member of the Board, school administrators, and members of the community. It reports directly to the Superintendent or designee. Individuals of this committee will participate in the development, implementation, periodic reviews, and updates of policy 6:50, School Wellness. 7 C.F.R. §210.31(d)(1). 

Children’s Advocacy Center Communication Committee

This committee supports the implementation of the Alleged Incidents of Sexual Abuse; Investigations subhead of policy 5:90, Abused and Neglected Child Reporting.  It includes the District Nondiscrimination Coordinator, District Safety Coordinator, and at least one representative from each of the following groups: District-level administrators, Building Principals, school personnel, and employees from the accredited Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) that serves the District.  The CAC Communication Committee reports directly to the Superintendent or designee.  See policy 5:90, Abused and Neglected Child Reporting, and administrative procedure 5:90-AP, Coordination with Children’s Advocacy Center.

Educational Technology Committee

This committee supports the implementation of policy 7:345, Use of Educational Technologies; Student Data Privacy and Security.  Committee members report directly to the Superintendent and may include the Head of Information Technology, District-level administrators, Building Principals, and teachers.  See administrative procedure 7:345-AP, Use of Educational Technologies; Student Data Privacy and Security.

This committee also supports the District’s submission of an annual report to ISBE regarding educational technology capacities and policies.

Remote Learning Committee

This committee develops a plan for instruction in grade pre-kindergarten through 12 and presents it to the Superintendent for approval who then presents it to the Board for adoption when the:

1. Governor declares a disaster due to a public health emergency (20 ILCS 3305/7); and

2. State Superintendent of Education declares a requirement for the District to implement and use Remote Learning Days (RLDs) or Blended Remote Learning Days (BRLDs).

After adoption of the plan by the Board, this committee supervises the implementation of 6:20-AP, Remote and/or Blended Learning day Plan(s), will report directly to the Superintendent or designee, and exists until its function has been fulfilled.

Time Out and Physical Restraint Oversight Team

The Time Out and Physical Restraint Oversight Team is required.  The Team includes, but is not limited to, Building Principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, school service personnel, and administrators to develop:

1. A school district plan, including school-specific considerations, for reducing and eventually eliminating the use of isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint in accordance with the goals and benchmarks established by ISBE; and

2. Procedures to implement the plan and make the plan available for review by parent/guardians.

The Team also supported the District’s submission to ISBE of the plan by July 1, 2022 and of progress reports annually thereafter through July 1, 2024, as well as notification to parents/guardians when plans and progress reports are available for review.

UPDATED: January 3, 2023