Board meetings will be scheduled in compliance with the law and as deemed by the board to be in the best interests of the district and community. The board will function through (1) regular meetings, (2) board work days, (3) special meetings, and (4) emergency meetings.

Regular Meetings

Regular meetings shall be held at 6:30 PM on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, except in November, December, and July alternate meeting dates will be established per annual meeting calendar. Locations for each meeting will be posted on the Board Meeting Schedule, or at other times and places as determined by the presiding officer or by majority vote of the board. An agenda of business to be transacted must be posted on the district website not less than twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the published start time of the meeting.

If regular meetings are to be held in places other than those specified above or are adjourned to times other than a regular meeting time, notice of the meeting shall be made in the same manner as provided for special meetings. All regular meetings of the board shall be held within the district boundaries. When a regular meeting date falls on a legal holiday, the meeting date shall be determined by the board.

Board Work Day

Board retreats shall be held annually. The date, time, and location of the board retreat will be determined by the board at least on month prior to the meeting.

Special Meetings

Special meetings may be called by the chair/president or on a petition of a majority of the board members. A written notice of a special meeting, stating the purpose of the meeting stating the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted will be delivered to each board member. Written notice will also be delivered to each newspaper and radio or television station that has filed a written request for such notices. Written notice may be delivered personally or by mail, facsimile or electronic mail. The notice must be posted on the district’s website.

The district must also prominently display the notice at the main entrance of the district’s headquarters as well as at the location of the meeting if the meeting is held at a location other than the headquarters.

All required notices must be delivered or posted not less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting.

The written notice requirement will be deemed waived if a member:

Submits a written waiver of notice to the board secretary at or prior to the time the meeting convenes. The waiver may be given by fax, or electronic mail; or
Is actually present at the time the meeting convenes.

Final disposition shall not be taken on any matter other than those items stated in the meeting notice.

Emergency Meetings

In the event of an emergency involving fire, flood, earthquake, possible personal injury or property damage, the board may meet immediately and take official action without prior notification.

Public Notice

Public notice shall be properly given for any special meeting; whenever a regular meeting is adjourned to another time; or, when a regular meeting is to be held at a place other than the location designated on the approved and posted meeting calendar.

All meetings shall be open to the public with the exception of executive sessions authorized by law. Final action resulting from executive session discussions will be taken during a meeting open to the public as required by law.

Individuals with disabilities who may need a modification to participate in a meeting should contact the superintendent's office no later than three days before a regular meeting and as soon as possible in advance of a special meeting so that special arrangements can be made.

During the interim between meetings, the office of the superintendent, as board secretary, shall be the office of the board. The district's public records shall be open for inspection in the manner provided by and subject to the limitation of the law.

Quorum

A quorum consists of the majority of all board members. For school boards with five members, three board members constitute a quorum. A quorum is required for the transaction of business, including voting. Board members are not required to be physically present to attend a board meeting. Any or all board members may attend a board meeting and vote via any communication platform that provides simultaneous aural communication with those in attendance. Additionally, any meeting held via a communication platform must: 1) include proper notice with any required passwords or authorization codes; 2) be known and accessible to the public; and 3) accommodate any member of the public who wishes to participate.

The board will take no action by secret ballot at any meeting required to be open to the public. Generally, the board votes on motions and resolutions by “voice” vote, unless a board member requests to vote by oral roll call, in which case the board will do so. A motion passes when a majority of those board members present and voting vote in favor. However, a majority vote of all board members is required to elect or select a superintendent or board officer and the board must vote on these matters by an oral roll call. The board will vote by an oral roll call whenever required by law.

Meeting Conduct and Order of Business

All board meetings will be conducted in an orderly and business-like manner using Roberts Rules of Order (Revised) as a guide, except when such rules are superseded by board bylaws or policies. The order of business will be that indicated in the agenda. Any additions or changes in the prepared agenda may be requested by the superintendent or a board member and must be approved by majority vote of the board members present. At a special meeting final action may be taken only on that business contained in the notice of the special meeting.

Board members have committed to meeting in person whenever possible, however if extenuating circumstances exist board members are not required to be physically present to attend a board meeting. Any or all board members may attend a board meeting and vote via any communication platform—including videoconference or teleconference - that provides, at a minimum, simultaneous aural communication between those present, provided: 1) the meeting is properly noticed with any required passwords or authorization codes; 2) the meeting is accessible to the public; 3) the meeting accommodates any member of the public who wishes to participate and 4) the communication platform is generally known and accessible to the public.

The board shall establish its regular order of business, but may elect to change the order by a majority vote of the members.

All votes on motions and resolutions shall be by "voice" vote unless an oral roll call vote is requested by a member of the board. No action shall be taken by secret ballot at any meeting required to be open to the public.

An oral roll call vote of all the members of the board is required for the election of board officers, filling a vacancy on the board, or for the selection of the school district superintendent, and a majority vote of all the members of the board is required for any person to be elected or selected for such positions.

During board meetings, board members will refrain from communicating electronically (e.g., by e-mail, text, social media) with their fellow board members.

Public Comment

The public is encouraged to attend meetings of the school board and to listen to and observe its deliberations, including individuals who do not live within district boundaries. The board will not require people to sign in, complete questionnaires, or establish other conditions for attendance. In the interest of orderly conduct of board meetings, spontaneous discussion from the floor shall be discouraged. The public will be given time to voice opinions or problems at two different places on the agenda of each regular meeting, once at the beginning of the meeting and once at the end of the meeting. If the concern(s) pertain to an item named on the agenda, the board will speak to it during the first public input session. If the topic is not named on the agenda, the board will speak to it during the second public input session.

The board recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of involving members of the public in its meetings. In order to permit fair and orderly expression of public comment, the board will provide a time on the meeting agenda during which visitors may address the board on any topic within the scope of the board’s responsibility. The board may structure the public comment period, including determining the total time allotted of 20 minutes for public comment and equally apportioning the three minutes for each speaker. The board is not obligated to provide additional public comment time to accommodate everyone in attendance who wishes to speak. Any structure the board imposes will be content neutral.

The board shall not hear oral complaints regarding school personnel. A member of the public wishing to make such a complaint shall do so in writing to the chair of the board who shall refer the complaint to the superintendent of the school district.

The board may require those who wish to speak (but not all attendees) to sign in so that the board has a tally of individuals who wish to speak and can call them forward. When called forward, individuals will identifying themselves and proceed to make comments within the time limits established by the board.

The board is not obligated to respond to questions or challenges made during the public comment period and the board’s silence will not signal agreement or endorsement of the speaker’s remarks. The board may control the time, place, and manner of public comment. The chair/president may terminate an individual's statement when the allotted time has passed and may interrupt a speaker to require the same standard of civility that the board imposes on itself. Examples of uncivil comments include comments that:

Are libelous or slanderous;
Are an unwarranted invasion of privacy;
Are obscene or indecent pursuant to the Federal Communications Act or any rule or regulation of the Federal Communications Commission;
Violate school district policy or procedure related to harassment, intimidation, bullying, or discrimination;
Incite an unlawful act on school premises or violate a lawful school regulation; or
Create a material and substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the board meeting

The board as a whole has the final decision in determining the appropriateness of all such rulings and can maintain order by removing those who are disruptive. However, the board recognizes the distinction between uncivil discourse, which it will not tolerate, and comments about the board, district, and / or staff that are negative yet still civil in nature, and will exercise its authority to maintain order in a content neutral manner.

Cross Reference:

Board Policy 1220 Board Officers and Duties of Board Members

Board Policy 1410 Executive or Closed Sessions

Board Policy 1420 Proposed Agenda and Consent Agenda

Legal References:

RCW 28A.330.020 Certain board elections, manner and vote required

RCW 28A.320.040 Directors — Bylaws for board and school government

RCW 28A.330.070 Office of board — Records available for public inspection

RCW 28A.343.370 Directors —Vacancies

RCW 28A.343.380 Directors — Meetings

RCW 28A.343.390 Directors — Quorum — Failure to attend meetings

RCW 42.30.030 Meetings declared open and public

RCW 42.30.050 Interruptions — Procedure

RCW 42.30.060 Open Public Meetings — Voting by secret ballot prohibited

RCW 42.30.070 Time and places for meetings-Emergencies-Exception

RCW 42.30.080 Special meetings

42 U.S.C. 12101-12213 Americans with Disabilities Act

Chapter 42 U.S.C.§§ 12101-12213 Americans with Disabilities Act

Management Resources:

Policy News, June 2005 Special Meeting Notice Requirements

Policy News, June 2012 Special Meetings Requirements

Policy News, April 2013 Meeting conduct policy revised

Policy News, June 2014

Adoption Date: March 10, 1999

Classification: Essential

Revised: 02/07; 03/11; 09/12; 07/13; 09/14; 12/12; 12/18

Procedure

The district must advertise all meetings, including study sessions and retreats, meetings that are open to the public. If a board wishes to devote all or most of a special meeting to an issue(s) to be discussed in executive session (Policy #1410), the special meeting should be called to order and recessed to an executive session. The purpose of the executive session should be announced at the meeting and recorded in the minutes (e.g., real estate matters, litigation).

All regular meetings must be held within the district boundaries. Special meetings may be held outside the district with proper notice of the time and location.

Meeting Notices

All public notices of board meetings should inform person with disabilities that they may contact the superintendent’s office, so that the district can arrange for them to participate in board meetings. A regular meeting does not require a public notice if held at the time and place provided by board policy. If the board does not meet at its regular location, the meeting should be treated as a special meeting with proper notice as set forth in board policy.

For special meetings, a district is required to notify those newspapers and radio and television stations that have filed a request for such notification. The district must also provide written notice and a printed or electronic copy of the agenda to each school director 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice to a director is deemed waived if the director files a written notice of waiver with the board secretary before or at the time of the commencement of the meeting or by the director’s actual attendance at the meeting.

The district must also post notice of the meeting on the district’s website, the door of the main district offices, and the door at the location of the meeting if it is different than the district’s offices. The district does not have to post on its website if it: (1) doesn’t have one; (2) employs fewer than ten full-time equivalent employees; or (3) does not have an employee whose job description or employment contract provides a duty to maintain or update the website.

At a special meeting, the board may discuss items that were not on the original agenda, but the board cannot take final action on any topics that were not identified on the original agenda. If the board is to discuss an item in executive session in accordance with Policy 1410, the item of business must also appear on the agenda if final action is to be taken following the executive session.

No meeting notice is required when the board is acting as a quasi-judicial body in a matter between named parties (e.g., hearing on discharge, nonrenewal or discipline of an employee, unless the employee requests a public meeting; hearing regarding suspension or expulsion of a student, unless the student requests a public meeting) or for the purpose of planning or adopting strategy or positions to be taken in collective bargaining, grievance or mediation proceedings, or reviewing such proposals made by a bargaining unit.

Meeting Recess and Continuation

The board may recess a regular, special, or recessed meeting to a specific future time. The district must post notice of such a recess and continuation at or near the door of the meeting room. Notification to the press is not required.

Date: 03/99; 03/11; 09/12; 09/14; 02/19

Rochester School District

Board of Directors - Series 1000

Organization

Legal Status and Operation 1000

Legal Status and Operation 1000

Key Functions of the Board 1005

Election

Electoral Systems 1105

Election 1110

Oath of Office 1111

Director Orientation 1112

Board Member Residency 1113

Board Member Resignation and Vacancy 1114

Board Organization

Annual Organizational Meeting, Election of Officers 1210

Board Officers and Duties of Board Members 1220

Committees 1240

Students on Governing Boards 1250

Methods of Governance

Policy Adoption, Manuals and Administrative 1310

Suspension of a Policy 1320

Administration in the Absence of Policy 1330

Meetings

Meeting Conduct, Order of Business, and Quorum 1400

Executive or Closed Sessions 1410

Proposed Agenda and Consent Agenda 1420

Minutes 1440

Absence of a Board Member 1450

Principles of Operation

Conflicts of Interest for 1st Class District 1610

The Board-Superintendent Relationship 1620

Evaluation of the Superintendent 1630

Board Member Benefits

Board Member Expenses 1731

Board Member Insurance 1732

Board Development

Board Operating Principles 1800

Open Government Trainings 1805

Annual Governance Goals and Objectives 1810

Board Self-Assessment 1820

Training and Development for Board Members 1822

Participation in School Boards' Association 1830