Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Evergreen Park board president outlines role, policy review and public‑meeting rules
Summary
Colleen Klimsack, president of the Evergreen Park School District 124 Board of Education, described the president’s duties, the district’s recent board policy review completed in August 2024, and how the board handles public and closed sessions under the Open Meetings Act.
Colleen Klimsack, president of the Evergreen Park School District 124 Board of Education, said the president’s job is largely organizational and communicative and does not confer extra voting power.
Klimsack spoke on a district webinar hosted by Superintendent Dr. Jocelyn Lipan about her responsibilities, the board’s recent comprehensive policy review and how the board uses closed session under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. “I don't get any more votes than anybody else,” Klimsack said, adding that the president’s work centers on ensuring consistent communication and that “we speak with one voice.”
The policy review that Klimsack described began in fall 2023 and concluded with updated, searchable board policies posted to the district website in August 2024. Klimsack said the district used the Illinois Association of School Boards’ online platform to publish the revised materials so community members could more easily find and track policies that govern curriculum, safety, parental involvement and other everyday operations.
Klimsack outlined routine board structures: a seven‑member board elected in consolidated elections every two years, with leadership roles of president, vice president and secretary. She said committee work is distributed across members and that a policy committee meets every other month to review state guidance and proposed policy changes.
On communications, Klimsack said the president coordinates information so all board members and the superintendent receive the same updates and can provide consistent messaging to staff, families and the media. She described a shared practice of clear, consistent emails and district communications. Klimsack said the district balances transparency with legal confidentiality obligations: “What happens in closed session stays in closed session,” she said, noting closed sessions are limited to topics allowed by law.
Klimsack listed typical reasons the board meets in closed session under the Open Meetings Act: to discuss compensation, legal matters, employee issues and student discipline or safety. She explained that agendas for open sessions are posted 48 hours in advance and that closed‑session agendas are similarly constrained; she also said recordings and some closed‑session materials can be subject to public records requests under FOIA.
Superintendent Dr. Jocelyn Lipan introduced the webinar and framed the conversation around helping the public understand the board’s duties, the superintendent‑board relationship and why policy review matters to everyday district operations. The webinar included a brief overview of how residents can observe meetings; Klimsack said regular board meetings take place on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.
Klimsack closed by describing why she ran for the board: to support district students and staff and to bring community service experience to the board. She said the work is collaborative and that no single board member acts alone.
The remarks were conversational and intended for public information; the session did not record any formal motions or votes.
