Each school board member, before taking his or her seat on the board, shall take an oath of office, administered as determined by the board, in substantially the following form:
         I, (name of member or successful candidate), do
    
solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of member of the Board of Education (or Board of School Directors, as the case may be) of (name of school district), in accordance with the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and the laws of the State of Illinois, to the best of my ability.
        I further swear (or affirm) that:

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 105 ILCS 5/10-16.5

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.36
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14

         I shall respect taxpayer interests by serving as a
    
faithful protector of the school district’s assets;
        I shall encourage and respect the free expression of
    
opinion by my fellow board members and others who seek a hearing before the board, while respecting the privacy of students and employees;
        I shall recognize that a board member has no legal
    
authority as an individual and that decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a public board meeting;
        I shall abide by majority decisions of the board,
    
while retaining the right to seek changes in such decisions through ethical and constructive channels;
        As part of the Board of Education (or Board of School
    
Directors, as the case may be), I shall accept the responsibility for my role in the equitable and quality education of every student in the school district;
        I shall foster with the board extensive participation
    
of the community, formulate goals, define outcomes, and set the course for (name of school district);
        I shall assist in establishing a structure and an
    
environment designed to ensure all students have the opportunity to attain their maximum potential through a sound organizational framework;
        I shall strive to ensure a continuous assessment of
    
student achievement and all conditions affecting the education of our children, in compliance with State law;
        I shall serve as education’s key advocate on behalf
    
of students and our community’s school (or schools) to advance the vision for (name of school district); and
        I shall strive to work together with the district
    
superintendent to lead the school district toward fulfilling the vision the board has created, fostering excellence for every student in the areas of academic skills, knowledge, citizenship, and personal development.
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