Board Meeting Protocols

The Board may act only in a properly convened meeting and no member shall have the authority to act for the Board or under the title of their Board position unless specifically authorized by statute or by the Board at such a meeting.  The Board of Education is the final authority over school matters. 

The Board encourages citizens of the district to attend its sessions so they may become better acquainted with the operation and programs of the schools and so the Board may have an opportunity to hear the wishes and ideas of the public.  In order to assure that persons who wish to appear before the Board may be heard and, at the same time, conduct its meetings properly and efficiently, the Board has adopted as policy the following procedures and rules pertaining to public participation at Board meetings:

  1. Anyone wishing to have an item placed on the Board agenda and speak before the Board should inform the Superintendent or Board President in writing of the topic to be discussed as early as possible but no later than 12:00 noon seven days before the next regularly scheduled meeting.  This will permit orderly scheduling of public remarks on the meeting agenda.
  2. The public shall be given an opportunity to make comments at each regularly scheduled Board meeting at the conclusion of the agenda item entitled [Discussions/Presentations] and during agenda items entitled “Action Items.”  Comments made during the items entitled “Action Items” can be made after the motion has been made and has been followed by a second.
  3. Individuals desiring to speak may give their name.
  4. Comments should be as brief as possible and should be limited to three minutes.  Board meetings are not the forum for question and answer.  When possible, the Board President will instruct the speaker on the appropriate way to receive an answer to any questions.

Only in a rare instance will the Board act on an issue being brought before them for the first time at a meeting.  The Board generally needs more time to examine the issue before action is taken.  Persons appearing before the Board are reminded, as a point of information that members of the Board are without authority to act independently in official matters.  Thus, questions may be directed to individual Board members, but answers will be deferred pending consideration by the full Board.  The President of the Board may also reserve the right to limit and/or defer certain discussion in the interest of conducting the Board meeting properly and efficiently.

The Board President and the Superintendent work collaboratively to create the meeting agenda.  Ultimately, the contents of the Board of Education meeting agenda are the responsibility of the Board President.