International Community School Overview

The International Community School (ICS) is a public charter school in DeKalb County, Georgia serving students in grades K-5. ICS was strategically designed in 2002 to bring together refugee, immigrant, and local children in an academically challenging and nurturing environment. Today, the school serves 475 students annually, representing more than 30 nationalities and speaking 25 languages. Our mission is to provide a rigorous and holistic education in an intentionally diverse community of mutual learners. 

Board of Directors Overview 

The Board of Directors has the legal and ethical responsibility to ensure the school has the resources it needs to successfully fulfill its charter and mission, as well as meet all financial and legal obligations. Members are elected for 3-year terms; those who meet their expectations may serve an additional one, two, or three year term at the discretion of the Board. Members should expect to spend approximately 5 to 10 hours per month in order to fully satisfy their Board obligations. Board members are volunteers and as such do not receive any compensation for their services.

Board Member Expectations

Each Board member is charged with the legal duties of care, obedience, and loyalty. To fulfill these duties, each Board member is expected to:

• Ensure the Board of Directors and ICS abide by and uphold all governing documents (federal/state laws/regulations, charter, articles of incorporation, by-laws, ICS policies, etc.)
• Attend and actively participate in at least 8 out of 10 meetings annually
• Develop and maintain familiarity with the school’s financial statements
• Complete annual trainings required by the Georgia Department of Education (15 hours the first year; 9 hours each successive year of Board service)
• Serve on or lead at least one committee or task force annually
• Volunteer at or attend at least 2 school events annually
• Make a personal financial contribution annually
• Raise a minimum of $500 annually (inclusive of personal financial contribution). If requested, volunteer hours can count toward this after fulfilling your personal contribution and volunteering commitments.
• Submit a conflict of interest statement annually and disclose any new conflicts to the Board in a timely manner
• Actively participate in recruiting prospective Board members
• Be a champion for the school by promoting it to your personal and professional network

Should any Board member fail to fulfill these commitments, the Governance Committee will initiate a conversation to discuss unfulfilled commitments before requesting their resignation.

ICS and Board of Director Responsibilities

To support Board members to meet the above responsibilities, all Board members can expect The Executive Director and the Board leadership to: 

• Be forthright and transparent in communications and reports to the Board
• Share agendas, financial reports, and other meeting materials with sufficient time for Board members to review documents before meetings
• Hold organized, efficient, and effective meetings that make good use of Board members’ time
• Operate in a manner that enables members to meet their legal duties of care, obedience, and loyalty
• Support Board members to meet their expectations by:
  • Offering a comprehensive onboarding process so new Board members will understand ICS’ governance, programs, finance, and fundraising
  • Ensuring Board members have access to additional training to develop needed skills
  • Providing volunteer and fundraising opportunities to ensure Board members can meet their goals