Part of the work of the Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124 Board of Education is to serve on committees dedicated to a variety of initiatives and partnerships that benefit our schools and our students. Below is a list of the current committees and membership for each.
Board of Education Committees:
Policy Committee
The Policy Committee is charged with reviewing existing Board of Education policies and recommending changes where necessary; and also proposing new policies for consideration by the Board.
- Assigned Members: Rachel Marroquin, David Sheppard
Student Handbook/Discipline Review Policy Committee
The Student Discipline Committee is charged with reviewing existing student discipline policies, recommending changes where necessary, and proposing new policies for consideration by the Board for inclusion in the Parent/Student Handbook.
- Assigned Members: Rachel Marroquin, Michael Thomas, Lauren Dowden
InterGovernmental Partnership Committee Work:
A.E.R.O Board Representative
The A.E.R.O. Board acts as the final authority for the A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative and shall conduct the affairs of A.E.R.O. under the statutory authority granted in the Illinois School Code. The Governing Board is composed of one member of the Board of Education from each district in the cooperative.
- Representative: Denise Jones
IASB Division Governing Board
One of the functions of the IASB Governing Board Representative is to serve as the communication channel for the School Board Association. The representative facilitates two-way communication with the Association.
- Assigned Members: Colleen Klimczak (delegate), David Sheppard
Union, District Administration and Superintendent Committee Work:
District Review Team
The District Review Team is composed of representatives from the teachers union, all five school buildings, administration and the Board of Education. This committee is grounded in problem solving current district concerns at the classroom teacher level. This committee is Co-Facilitated by the Superintendent and the union, however the board members take an active role in listening to the feedback from the teachers union and providing a community perspective.
- Assigned Members: Colleen Klimczak, Denise Jones
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee acts as a liaison between the Board of Education and the District Equity Leadership Team (DELT). The primary goal of this committee is to advise the Superintendent on equity action planning in order to create a more equitable, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for all students. Its importance lies in:
- Identifying and addressing disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes among different groups of students, including discipline disparities, student achievement gaps, and access to resources.
- Creating inclusive policies and practices, which may involve developing new policies or updating existing ones to better serve diverse populations.
- Fostering a sense of belonging so all students, families, staff feel valued, respected, and included.
- Address instances of bias, discrimination, or harassment within the school community and implement protocols for reporting and responding to incidents.
Each board member plays an active role in guiding the components of the strategic plan aligned to the district's DEI initiatives.
- Assigned Members: Colleen Klimczak, Denise Jones
Evergreen Park D124 Education Foundation
The Evergreen Park District 124 Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer organization made up of the District's friends and supporters. The Foundation raises and distributes charitable contributions from a variety of sources to enhance the educational experience of the students of District 124. The board representative to the Foundation acts as liaison between the Board and the D124 Educational Foundation. The Board of Education representative serves as a Trustee on the Foundation Board.
- Representative: Colleen Klimczak
Facilities Committee
This committee provides input to facilities decisions with a focus on creating a functional, healthy, and safe learning environment.
- Assigned Members: Rachel Marroquin, Michael Aumiller
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee enables the board to carry out its fiduciary responsibility by overseeing the fiscal health of District 124. It has the responsibility for working with the Superintendent and Director of Business Services to create the fiscal year budget; present budget recommendations to the board; monitor implementation of the approved budget on a regular basis and recommend proposed budget revisions; and recommend to the board appropriate policies for the management of the school's assets.
- Assigned Members: Michael Aumiller, Michael Thomas
Insurance Committee
The Insurance Committee is charged with reviewing and making recommendations for employee insurance plans. This committee reviews existing employee insurance benefits and makes recommendations for changes to the plans.
- Assigned Members: Michael Thomas
Negotiations Committee
The Negotiations Committee serves as representatives as the Board’s spokespersons to carry out its responsibility for negotiating the union contract with staff.
- Assigned Members: Lauren Dowden
Superintendent Evaluation Committee
This committee writes and presents the Board’s annual performance evaluation to the Superintendent. With input from the Board of Education, the committee works with the superintendent to develop yearly goals and with the school attorneys to review, revise and finalize the employment contract for the superintendent.
- Assigned Members: Colleen Klimczak, Lauren Dowden, Rachel Marroquin,
TLC (Together Let's Communicate)
This committee was formed to establish and maintain open lines of communication between the Administration, Board, and the Evergreen Park federation of teachers. The purpose is to create long and short term planning goals to move the district forward in the areas of culture, finance, teaching and learning, and facilities.
- Assigned Members: Colleen Klimczak, Michael Aumiller
