Policy 2.D– BOARD OFFICERS & MEETING CONDUCT

Date Adopted: January 27, 2009

Date Revised: May 22, 2012, May 26, 2015, September 26, 2017, April 14, 2020, December 14, 2022, November 13, 2024

The Board President assures the integrity of the Board's Process.

Accordingly:

1. The President is to see to it that the Board behaves consistently with its policies and those legitimately imposed upon it from outside the organization.
   
   a) Meeting discussion content will include only those issues that clearly (according to Board policy) belong to the Board to decide, consider or to monitor.
   b) Information that is for neither monitoring performance nor board decisions will be avoided or minimized and always noted as such. c) Deliberation will be fair, open, thorough, timely, orderly, and kept to the point.
    
2. The President is authorized to make decisions consistent with the Board’s Governance Process and Board/Management Delegation policies, with the exception of (a) employment/termination of the Superintendent, or (b) instances where the Board specifically delegates portions of this authority to others. The President is authorized to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.
   
   a) The President is empowered to preside at Board meetings with all of the commonly accepted power of that position, such as ruling and recognizing.
   
   b) The President has no authority to make decisions about policies created by the Board within Goals and Management Limitations policy areas. Therefore, the President has no authority to supervise or direct the Superintendent.
   
   c) The President may represent the Board to outside parties in announcing Board-stated positions and in stating decisions and interpretations within the area delegated to her or him.
   d) The President may delegate this authority but remains accountable for its use.
   1. The Vice President will assume the responsibility of the Board President stated in Board Policy 2.D upon the absence of the Board President. The Vice President will assist the President in new board member training and mentorship. The President will delegate authority to the Vice President but will remain accountable for its use.
   e) The President will appoint Board members to serve on Board Committees and as Chair of such committees, except where specified otherwise in Board policies.
    
3. The President shall be responsible for affecting a leadership plan to orient members of the Board to the roles of the President and Vice President of the Board prior to their election to such positions.
4. The Board Secretary is an ex-officio officer of the Board whose purpose is to ensure the integrity of the Board’s documents.
   a) The Secretary’s job is to see to it that all Board documents and filings are accurate and timely.
   b) Board Policies will be kept in a clear, well organized, and current format.
   c) The Secretary has authority to access and maintain control over Board documents, and the use of staff time as necessary to fulfill the duties outlined above.
   d) The Secretary will see to the following:
   1. full and timely notice is given to the public of any meeting at which the adoption of any proposed policy or formal action shall occur or at which a quorum of the Board is expected to attend. Normally regular Board meetings are scheduled on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
   2. dates of regular meetings of the Board shall be provided in annual announcements and made available in printed form and electronic form to the news media and public.
   3. the agenda for all regular meetings shall be posted on designated bulletin boards in the administration, school, and other buildings where employees are assigned prior to the time of the meeting. The agenda shall be made available upon request.
   4. cause notice of special meetings, community linkage meetings and study meetings to be posted at the designated public place in the Lois Lesser Board and Conference Room no less than 24 hours prior to the meeting. This notice shall include specific agenda information where possible.
   5. written notification of all special/rescheduled meetings shall be sent to the news media sufficiently in advance for the public to be notified when feasible.
   6. an agenda with appropriate enclosures shall be prepared and sent electronically to each Board member by the superintendent together with the minutes of the previous meeting. These shall reach Board members at least 24 hours before the meeting time and, if mailed, no later than 72 hours prior to the hour set for the meeting.
5. The Board Treasurer is an ex-officio officer of the Board whose purpose is to ensure the financial integrity of the Board’s accounts. The treasurer shall execute a bond in such sum as directed by the Board. The cost of such bond shall be paid by the district. He/she shall perform, or cause to be performed, the duties as prescribed by law.
   a) The Treasurer’s job is to see to it that all Board transactions are conducted in a fiscally responsible manner, following all accepted standard business practices.
   b) The Treasurer has authority to expend and receive funds on behalf of the board and as directed.
   c) The position of Board Treasurer will be filled by the sitting Chief Financial Officer.
6. Meetings
   All meetings of a quorum or of three or more members of the Board, whichever is fewer, at which any public business may be discussed or any formal action taken shall be open to the public at all times except for periods in which the Board is in executive session.
   
   Regular Meetings
   Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Lois Lesser Board and Conference Room or at a site designated by the Board of Education.
   
   Special Meetings
   Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Board President at any time and shall be called upon the written request of a majority of the members. Any member may waive notice of a special meeting at any time before, during or after such meeting, and attendance thereat shall be deemed to be a waiver. No business other than that stated in the notice of the meeting shall be transacted unless all members are present and agree to consider and transact other business.
   
   Regular Study Session
   The Board, as a decision-making body, is confronted with a continuing flow of problems, issues and needs which require action. While the Board is determined to expedite its business, it also is mindful of the importance of planning, brainstorming and thoughtful discussion without action. Therefore, from time to time the Board may schedule work/study session, which shall be open to the public, in order to provide its members and the executive staff with just such opportunities. Topics for discussion and study shall be announced publicly.
   
   Community Linkage Meetings
   Community Linkage meetings with specified groups shall be held at least quarterly in the Lois Lesser Board and Conference Room or at a site designated by the Board of Education.
    
7. Executive Session
   All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public except that at any regular or special meeting the Board may proceed into executive session upon a majority vote of two-thirds of the quorum present.
   
   The Board shall not make final policy decisions nor shall any resolution, policy or regulation be adopted or approved nor shall any formal action of any kind be taken during any executive session.
   
   The Board may hold an executive session for the sole purpose of considering any of the following matters.
   
   a) Purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer or sale of any real, personal or other property. However, no executive session shall be held to conceal the fact that a member of the Board has a personal interest in such property transaction.
   b) Conferences with an attorney for the purpose of receiving legal advice on specific legal questions. The mere presence or participation of an attorney at an executive session shall not be sufficient to satisfy this requirement.
   c) Matters required to be kept confidential by federal or state law or regulations.
   d) Specialized details of security arrangements or investigations.
   e) Determination of positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, development of strategy for negotiations and instruction of negotiators.
   f) Personnel matters except if an employee who is the subject of an executive session requests an open meeting. If the personnel matter involves more than one employee, all of the employees must request an open meeting.
   The Teacher Employment, Compensation and Dismissal Act shall prevail in teacher dismissal hearings. (It provides that a dismissal hearing shall be open unless either the administration or employees requests the hearing be closed.)
   g) Consideration of any documents protected under the mandatory nondisclosure provision of the Open Records Act.
   h) Discussion of individual students where public disclosure would adversely affect the person or persons involved.
   
   Prior to convening in executive session, the Board president shall announce the general topic of the executive session which shall be reflected in the minutes. Only those persons invited by the Board may be present during any executive session.
    
8. Except as otherwise specified by state law or Board policies pertaining to its own operating procedures, the Board shall operate by the rules prescribed in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
    
9. All voting shall be by roll call, with each member present voting "Aye" or "No" alphabetically. However, election of the president and vice president may be by secret ballot.
   
   A member may abstain from voting only if excused by the Board for good cause.
   
   A Board member who has a personal or private interest in any proposed or pending matter which presents a conflict of interest in accordance with Board policy shall disclose such interest and shall not vote unless his/her participation is necessary to obtain a quorum or otherwise enable the Board to act. Under such circumstances, the member shall comply with the voluntary disclosure requirements set out in state law.
   
   To pass, any motion must be approved by a majority of the members present except as state law or policies of this Board may require a majority of full membership.
    
10. Official minutes of the meetings of the Board of Education constitute the written record of all proceedings of the Board. Therefore, the minutes shall include:
    
    a) The nature of the meeting, whether regular or special; time and place; members present; approval of the minutes of the preceding meeting or meetings.
    b) A record of all actions taken by the Board, the motion, the name of the member making the motion and seconding it; the record of the vote, with the vote of each member recorded. Reports and documents related to a formal motion may be omitted if they are referred to by title and date.
    c) A record of all business that comes before the Board through reports of the superintendent and others and through communications from the staff and the public.
    d) The names of all persons who speak before the Board and the topic of their remarks.
    e) A record that an executive session was held, including the names of those present and the topic for discussion in the executive session.
    f) The record of adjournment.
    
    The official minutes will be signed by the secretary, and following their approval, the official copy shall also be signed by the president of the Board of Education.
    
    The official minutes shall be in the custody of the secretary to the Board and shall be made available to the public at the administrative offices of the district upon request during normal office hours.
     
11. A recording shall be made of regular and special meetings, and executive sessions as required by law and at a minimum, shall be an audio recording. When possible a livestream of the regular and special meetings will be available. Audio recordings and livestream recordings shall be maintained for 90 days.
     
12. Public Participation in Meetings
    
    All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. Because the Board desires to hear the viewpoints of citizens throughout the district and also needs to conduct its business in an orderly and efficient manner, it shall schedule one or more periods during each meeting for brief comments and questions from the public. The Board shall set a time limit on the length of this period and/or time limit for individual speakers.
    
    Members of the public wishing to make formal presentations before the Board should make arrangements in advance with the superintendent so that such presentations may be scheduled on the agenda.
    
    Comments and questions at a regular meeting may deal with any topic related to the Board's administration and governance of the district. Comments at special meetings must be related to the call of the meeting.
    
    The Board president shall be responsible for recognizing all speakers, who shall properly identify themselves, for maintaining proper order, and for adherence to any time limits set.
     
13. Electronic Participation in School Board Meetings

    Board members may attend and participate electronically in regular or special meetings of the Board in accordance with this policy and state law. For purposes of this policy, “electronically” shall be defined as attendance via telephone, videoconferencing, or other electronic means that enable the public to hear the comments made by the Board member(s) participating electronically and allow the Board member(s) to hear the comments made by the public.

    Board members may attend and participate electronically in a regular or special Board meeting only when extenuating circumstances prevent the Board member from physically attending the meeting. For purposes of this policy, “extenuating circumstances” means a Board member’s job or military service requires the member to be outside of the district at the time of the meeting, inclement weather that prevents the Board member from traveling to the location of the meeting, acute illness that prevents the Board member from physically attending the meeting or the Board president or, in his or her absence or inability, the vice- president, determines and announces in the notice of the meeting that public health, safety or welfare considerations warrant Board member participation electronically.

    A meeting at which Board members attend and participate electronically shall be open to the public, except for periods in which the Board is in executive session as authorized by law. A quorum of the Board may be established by a sufficient number of members being present at the meeting either physically or electronically.

    Board member(s) participating electronically shall have real-time access to any materials that are presented and made available to Board members who physically attend the meeting. A Board member participating electronically may vote and will be included in the recording of the Board meeting.

    Except in the case of extenuating circumstances declared for public health, safety or welfare considerations, a Board member who seeks to attend and participate electronically in a Board meeting shall notify the Board president and superintendent at least one week prior to the meeting and shall explain the extenuating circumstances that prevent the Board member from physically attending the meeting. If such notification is not possible, the Board member shall notify the Board president and superintendent as soon as is reasonably possible of the request to attend electronically. The Board president or, in his or her absence or inability, the vice-president, is delegated the authority to consider and approve the request, subject to review by the Board members who are in attendance physically or electronically at the meeting if the request for attendance electronically is denied.

    If the request is approved, a Board member who attends and participates electronically shall make a statement at the meeting, identifying the location from which the Board member is participating, those present, and the extenuating circumstances that prevented the Board member from physically attending the meeting. If the Board convenes in executive session, the Board member attending and participating by electronic means shall ensure confidentiality during that portion of the meeting.

    Except for meetings that the Board president determines should be held electronically due to extenuating circumstances as described above, a Board member may attend and participate electronically in a maximum of two Board meetings per calendar year. Unless otherwise approved by the Board, additional requests to attend and participate electronically will be denied. In accordance with state law, the Board shall declare a vacancy if a Board member fails to attend three consecutive regular Board meetings, unless the Board member’s absence is otherwise excused by the Board.

    A Board member’s failure to comply with this policy may result in the Board’s refusal to allow the member to participate electronically in Board meetings.