Government Transparency Checklist

Community Consolidated School District 15 strives to be responsive to residents' concerns and operate in a fiscally responsible and efficient manner. Government transparency, or the ability to access information and documents, is a priority.

While much of the information below is located in other areas of the website, this page consolidates a variety of key information all in one place.

1. Contact Information

1. Name, phone number and email address for all elected officials
2. Name, phone number and email address for all department heads and senior administrator
   
   
   • Board Members
   • Development and Training Completed by Board Members
   • Administrators, Principals (click link on page for school or dept page and more information)
   • School District 15 Organization Chart

2. Public Meetings 

1. A calendar disclosing one year’s worth of scheduled public meetings
2. Agendas and board packets are posted online 48 hours prior to board meetings
3. Meeting minutes for the previous five years
4. Board packets for the previous five years
   
   
   • Meeting Dates/Agendas/Minutes/Board Briefs/Videos
   • Board of Education Strategic Plan

3. Public Records

1. Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, submission information
2. General address, phone number and email for submission
3. Specific FOIA officer name, phone number, email
4. Response time disclosure
5. Fee disclosure
   
   
   • Freedom of Information Act

4. Budgets

1. Last five years of detailed budgets in searchable format
   
   
   • School District 15 Annual Budget (Click on School District 15 Budget and the year you seek)
     
     

5. Audits

1. Last five years of audited comprehensive annual financial reports in searchable format
   
   
   • ISBE Annual Financial Reports (Click on ISBE Annual Financial Reports and the year you seek)
   • Annual Statement of Affairs (Click on Annual Statement of Affairs and the year you seek)
   • Annual Financial Reports (Click on Financial Statements and Independent Auditor's Report and the year you seek)

6. Expenditures

1. Five years of individual third-party searchable expenditures via bill list or check register
2. Five years of searchable third-party annual expenditures, total expenditures to each vendor for year
   
   
   • Individual Expenditures
   • Yearly expenditure summary (Click on Annual Statement of Affairs and the year you seek)

7. Compensation

1. Five years of searchable individual employee wage compensation (all W-2 wage earnings salary, bonuses, overtime)
2. Five years of searchable individual employee benefit compensation (health, dental and life insurance; retirement payments; etc.)
   
   
   • Salary Compensation Reports
   • Negotiated Agreements (includes salary schedules and benefits info)
   • Gross Payment for Certificated and Non-Certificated Personnel (Click on Annual Statement of Affairs and the year you seek)
   • Superintendent's Contract (2019-2025)

8. Contracts

1. Current requests for proposals and bidding opportunities, more than $25,000 in value
2. Instructions on how to submit a bid or proposal
3. Approved vendor contracts, more than $25,000 in value
4. Individual employee contracts
5. Collective bargaining contracts
   
   
   • Bids/Requests for Proposals and summary of the Board of Education's purchase results 
   • Approved vendor contracts greater than $25,000
   • Union and employee contracts
   • Superintendent's Contract (2019-2025)

9. Lobbying

1. Post contracts that disclose the value and purpose of lobbying efforts for the past five years
2. Disclose any taxpayer-funded lobbying organizations that local government pays fees to
3. Post statement that the local government doesn’t engage in any lobbying or pay dues to a taxpayer-funded lobbying organization, if this is the case
   
   
   • Community Consolidated School District 15 has not and does not employ any lobbying firms to further its interests at the federal, state, or local levels.

The District is a member of the IASB, ED-RED, and FED-ED. All groups have lobbying components:

• IASB (Illinois Association of School Boards)
• ED-RED ('The voice of suburban schools,' is an advocacy organization that monitors and actively influences education policy at the Illinois Statehouse, particularly issues that are priorities for our member school districts.)
• FED-ED (A consortium of Illinois school districts, educational organizations, and corporate sponsors that represent the interests of suburban schools in our nation's capitol.)

10. Taxes and Fees

1. Disclose tax rates for all major revenue sources of the local government’s own taxing power including property, sales, telecommunication, hotel, etc.
2. Disclose all fees
3. Disclose all revenue sources

School District 15 revenue sources are listed in the CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report). Please refer to the CAFR for breakdown in sources. For further breakdown of School District 15 Tax Levy, please refer to the Financial Documents page. School District 15 also collects fees for book rental, material, and technology fees. Other fees are optional, including interscholastic sports, student insurance, and bus fees.

• Financial Documents
• Student Fees (page)
• Certificate of Tax Levy
• Tax Rates by Fund
• Tax Extension by Fund
• Equalized Assessed Valuation
• Revenue Summary
• Expenditure Summary

11. News Releases & Newsletters

• District News

12. State Report Cards

• District and School Report Cards

If you are seeking information which is not readily available above, please contact the appropriate administrator for assistance. If you would prefer to submit a formal request for information under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), please visit the Freedom of Information Act page for contact information for the FOIA Officer.