Board of Education
WATCH THE DEC. 2 COW MEETING: The Board of Education's Dec. 2 Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting was livestreamed and recorded. The meeting can be viewed here:
► Link to Recording of Dec. 2 COW Meeting
Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Education. The current members of the District 401 Board of Education are:
► Mr. Frank J. Parisi | President
► Mr. Michael V. Scheidt | Vice President
► Mrs. Sue Capraro | Secretary
► Mrs. Mary Bruscato
► Mr. Timothy P. Loughnane
► Mr. Jonathan M. Rivera
► Mr. Peter A. Volpe
All Board-approved policies are contained in the District Policy Manual, which is available online in a fully searchable format.
Next Meeting: Dec. 16 Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Board of Education will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the location is to be determined. The open session will be livestreamed.
► Notice | Dec. 16 Regular Meeting | PDF
► Agenda | Dec. 16 Regular Meeting | BoardDocs
► Agenda | Dec. 16 Regular Meeting | PDF
For links to all required public information related to the Board's complete schedule of 2020-21 meetings, please visit our 2020-21 Notices, Agendas, Minutes page.
Public Participation Form
Members of the public may submit comments or questions prior to Board regular meetings and some special meetings by using our Public Participation Form. Submissions will be read at meetings by the Superintendent. The link will be activated several days prior to a meeting and deactivated when the meeting begins. To access the form, please click this link:
► Public Participation Form | Request to Address the Board
(This link was deactivated at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18.)
Please note that the participation form will be used primarily for regular meetings.
Recordings of Board Meetings
The public sessions of 2020-21 Board meetings will be livestreamed and recorded. These recordings will be posted on the following page:
► 2020-21 Notices, Agendas, Minutes
Recordings of 2019-20 meetings are available on our 2019-20 Notices, Agendas, Minutes page.
To Learn More About the Board
For more information about the responsibilities, procedures and operations of the D401 Board of Education, please see the sections below.
To communicate with the entire Board, please use this email link:
Individuals may also submit questions or communications for the Board's consideration to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Leah Gauthier. She can be reached by email at this address.
The Board's powers and duties include the authority to adopt, enforce and monitor all policies for the management and governance of District 401's schools.
A more detailed listing of Board powers and duties can be found in Section 2:20 of the District Policy Manual.
Official action by the Board may only occur at a duly called and legally conducted meeting at which a quorum is physically present. See Section
As stated in the Board member oath of office prescribed by the Illinois School Code, a Board member has no legal authority as an individual.
The District 401 Board of Education meets regularly once a month during the school year from August to June.
Regular meetings typically occur on the third Wednesday of each month. Unless otherwise noted, the public portion of each regular meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Elmwood Park High School. Executive sessions begin at 6 p.m. in Room 192 at EPHS and are closed to the public.
Meetings of the Board's Committee of the Whole (COW) start at 7 p.m. and are held in Room 192 at Elmwood Park High School. Unless otherwise noted, COW meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month from August to June.
Meeting notices, agendas and minutes are publicized as required by Illinois law and District 401 policy. Please note that a COW meeting may sometimes be changed to a "Special Board Meeting." In addition, committee meetings such as Buildings & Grounds may also be scheduled as needed.
The District 401 Board of Education is scheduled to hold the following regular meetings during the 2020-21 school year:
► Wednesday, August 19, 2020
► Wednesday, September 16, 2020
► Wednesday, October 21, 2020
► Wednesday, November 18, 2020
► Wednesday, December 16, 2020
► Wednesday, January 20, 2021
► Wednesday, February 17, 2021
► Wednesday, March 17, 2021
► Wednesday, April 21, 2021
► Wednesday, May 19, 2021
► Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Unless otherwise noted, open sessions of regular meetings start at 7 p.m. and are held in the auditorium of Elmwood Park High School. Executive sessions begin at 6 p.m. in Room 192 at EPHS and are closed to the public.
The District 401 Board of Education's Committee of the Whole (COW) is scheduled to hold the following meetings during the 2020-21 school year:
► Wednesday, August 5, 2020
► Wednesday, September 2, 2020
► Wednesday, October 7, 2020
► Wednesday, November 4, 2020
► Wednesday, December 2, 2020
► Wednesday, January 6, 2021
► Wednesday, February 3, 2021
► Wednesday, March 3, 2021
► Wednesday, April 7, 2021
► Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Unless otherwise noted, the public portions of COW meetings start at 7 p.m. and are held in Room 192 at Elmwood Park High School.
To learn more about the District 401 Board of Education, including its procedures, policies and long-range plans, we invite you to visit the pages listed below.
- 2020-21 Notices, Agendas, Minutes
- Board Meeting Archives
- Board Meeting Procedures
- Public Participation
- Types of Board Meetings
► Calendar