Dr. Thomas presented an intergovernmental mutual-aid agreement for McHenry County districts at the Oct. 20 committee meeting. The proposal, described as a cooperative plan led by the regional office of education (ROE) and CDM, would allow districts to request assistance in a major crisis, such as counseling teams, transportation or other support.

Dr. Thomas said the McGeade Alliance (as presenters named it) would charge a nominal membership fee this year ($250) for materials and communications and up to $400 annually thereafter for the life of the agreement. The agreement is written as a courtesy cooperation among districts; it does not create a guarantee that a district must send resources or that a sending district can recover overtime or equipment costs from a receiving district.

Board members asked whether a district's attorney had reviewed the agreement and how liability and reimbursement would be handled. Dr. Thomas said several districts share counsel and that districts could have counsel review the final agreement; he reiterated that the arrangement is primarily a courtesy and that liability would be handled by each district's insurance.

The board placed the item on consent for further handling; no formal vote on adoption of the agreement was recorded in the transcript.