School Advisory Board

Purpose & Areas of Responsibility

By its nature, the board is advisory. It is accountable to the pastor and to the principal in its operation. It agrees to follow the policies and administrative procedures of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Office of Catholic Schools.

The advisory board is a leadership group within the ministry of Catholic schooling. As such, the responsibilities include:

• Modeling faith and community in a spirit of cooperation and interdependence with the pastor and principal.
• Adhering to Archdiocesan policy and developing policies that enable the school to fulfill its mission.
• Reviewing and advising on the school budget, tuition rates and other sources of financing.
• Developing and periodically reviewing the board constitution and bylaws.
• Participating in the school’s development, student recruitment efforts, and long-range plans.
• Acting as the public relations and marketing arm of the school and its programs.
• Participating in ongoing board in-service, both at the Archdiocesan and local level.
• Evaluating annually the board’s effectiveness, productivity and internal operations.
• Directing individuals and / or groups to appropriate resources for conflict resolution.
• Participating, upon request, in the School Improvement Process.
• Monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the School Improvement Plan.
• Supporting the efforts of local legislative action.

Membership

Members agree that they will use their talents, gifts and insights for the common good of the community to promote the mission and goals of Catholic education. They will defer their personal agendas in order to discern with other members the issues, concerns and challenges they face in meeting the educational needs of the students. Not only will they take seriously their role as advisors to the pastor and principal, but also they will accept the conditions of membership on the advisory board, namely, the Code of Ethics, which describes the parameters of their collaboration and responsibility. The members model the faith community to its constituents. They promote respect between and among each other, acknowledge the various views of each member, discern with each other in an open and collaborative manner and support the decisions approved by the board. The advisory board functions only when it is in session. This relieves them of “being on duty” at social or school events, or when they meet other members in the community. The members understand that they are part of the parish community and that the school is a vital part of the parish community as well. Each member is a public relations agent of the school. It is a privilege to serve as a member of the advisory board. The members are valued because of their expertise, the support that they give to Catholic education and their generosity in sharing their talents with other members.

For the 2012-2013 School Year, the School Advisory Board Officers will be:

President - Raul Ortiz

Vice President - Mark Staunton

Treasurer - Mark Gilhuly

Secretary - Katie Kupka

Mike Hill, Nancy Jaykowski, Mary Ann Wilkens

Presently the School Board holds monthly meetings on Tuesdays in the Band/Kindermusik Room.

Beginning in March 2008, the School Advisory Board has begun planning and preliminary training to transition to a Board of Specified Jurisdiction, a transition required by the Archdiocese of Chicago.