Communications Corner: IASB Offers Books for School Leader Readers
By Kara KienzlerJournal | July/August 2024
The Illinois Association of School Boards offers books that can be valuable to any school district or board member library. These publications help IASB fulfill its mission, which includes “Valuable benefits, pooled services, information, and expertise.”
Many IASB-published titles have been recently updated, and the new editions are now available at iasb.com/bookstore.
Illinois School Code and Related Laws is compiled by LexisNexis for IASB and includes the Illinois School Code and other statutes selected for relevance to public school governance and administration. The new edition covers legislation enacted as of January 1, 2024, including selected election and pension laws, Educational Labor Relations Act, Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, Disclosure of Economic Interests, Truth in Taxation Act, Local Records Act, Personnel Record Review Act, Prevailing Wage Act, Emancipation of Mature Minors Act, Tort Immunity Act, Gift Ban Act, and School Visitation Rights Act.
The new edition consists of two volumes. Volume 1 contains the School Code. Volume 2 contains numerous other statutes selected for their relevance to public school governance and administration. An index for both Volumes is included in Volume 2. Previous editions were offered with a mid-term supplement. For 2024, Illinois School Code and Related Laws will not be supplemented because IASB offers other, free publications to serve the purpose: “New School Laws,” a digest of state laws impacting Illinois public schools enacted each year, and a “Guide to Illinois Statutes Affecting Schools,” which is compiled by the Illinois Council of School Attorneys and serves as a reference tool for Illinois statutes that are not listed in the School Code but affect Illinois school districts. Both publications can be accessed from the IASB website.
Also recently published is the 18th edition of the Illinois School Law Survey. The Survey for 2024-2026 presents answers to more than 1,600 questions in 27 chapters, along with a list of the statutes, rules, and court cases on which each answer is based. Questions and answers have been updated to reflect legislation and court decisions from the two years up to January 1, 2024, and questions have been added to cover new statutes and case law.
Each print book purchase of the Illinois School Law Survey includes access to a dynamic digital version of the book, with a keyword-searchable tool that allows you to quickly find the information you need. It also includes links to cited court cases and federal laws, as well as Illinois statutes, rules, and more.
The Illinois School Law Survey was originated by the late Brian A. Braun, an attorney with the firm of Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk & Miller, Ltd., who was the creator and editor from 1983 to 2023. Prior to that, Braun was an attorney on the staff of IASB. The book is now authored by Brian’s son, David J. Braun, an attorney with the firm of Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk & Miller, Ltd., and a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys.
Also updated in 2024 and published by IASB is Essentials of Illinois School Finance: A Guide to Techniques, Issues, and Resources by James Fritts with Senior Editor Ann Williams.
Essentials of Illinois School Finance is a practical and informative guide for school administrators, business managers, budget makers, and anyone impacted by school finance. Details help school board members understand the financial management work of administrative staff and the board’s responsibilities in maintaining the district’s fiscal health.
Key information is presented in three sections. Part One emphasizes budgeting and management of revenues and describes the workings of the state’s Evidence-Based Funding formula. Part Two addresses the budgeting and management of expenditures and describes ways to assess a district’s overall financial health. Part Three describes the school board’s financial responsibilities and how the board can fulfill its leadership responsibilities for the school district’s financial health.
IASB offers many other titles for school leaders in its bookstore, including these published by the Association:
- Coming to Order: A Guide to Successful School Board Meetings (2023)
- Effective School Board Member (2023)
- Collective Bargaining and the Illinois School Board Member (2021) by Ronald R. Booth and edited by the late Brian A. Braun
Kara Kienzler is IASB’s Associate Executive Director for Communications and Production Services.