Board members will serve 4-year terms in accordance with the State election cycle – these terms commence on January 1st following the November General Election. The rotation includes 4 seats in one election followed by 3 seats in the next.

No one person on the Board or group of persons acts in the name of the Board. When an item comes before the Board in the form of a motion, it is necessary that a majority vote be in favor of the motion in order for the Board to take action. All Board members must vote on each motion.

The areas of Board action include:

1. Drafting policies for the operation of the schools.

2. Employing a superintendent of schools.

3. Authorizing the appointment of recommended teachers and administrators.

4. Determining education standards and goals.

5. Approving the curriculum as studied, developed and recommended by staff.

6. Securing funds for school operational needs, building programs, and authorizing expenditures.

7. Expressing and representing the views of the community in matters affecting education.

8. Interpreting the educational programs and needs of the community.

Consultants from the staff and members of the community often aid the Board in performing these duties.

The Organizational meeting takes place annually by the second Friday of January. This meeting is for organizational purposes such as the election of officers, setting meeting dates, naming of depositories for funds, etc.

Regular Meetings are held once each month to conduct normal Board business. In general, the Board meets on the second Thursday of the month. All meetings are held in public.

Special Meetings are public and can be called for any purpose between regular meetings. Meetings must be posted for 18 hours.

Executive Sessions are provided for by law when the Board is discussing personnel and student discipline, negotiations, purchase of property, etc. These meetings are attended by the Board, Superintendent, and anyone involved with the issue under discussion. No action may be taken in an executive session.

Information/Work/Study Sessions are discussion sessions without the usual meeting formalities. Typically, no action is taken in these meetings, and all meetings are public.

The Board of Education is the legislative body of the school district. Their meetings are held in public, but not as a public forum for open debate. The Board has established guidelines concerning public participation at Board meetings to permit fair and orderly public participation at each public meeting.  The guidelines will include, but not be limited to:  

• Requiring each person who wishes to address the Board to complete a sign in sheet or comment card including the person’s name, address, telephone number and topic.

• Requiring each person who wishes to address the Board to be recognized by the presiding officer and preface his or her comments by stating his or her name, address and, if applicable, group affiliation.  

• Prohibiting the same person from addressing the same topic more than once at a meeting.  

• Requiring each person to address the Board or the Board’s presiding officer and not individual Board members, School District personnel or other individuals.  

• Prohibiting individual complaints against persons who have duly requested a closed session, as permitted by the OMA.  Persons with individual complaints or complaints about specific incidents are encouraged to handle them through proper administrative channels and may contact the Superintendent for assistance.  

• Limiting the total time devoted to public participation to 30 minutes at each meeting and the total time for each person’s comments to three minutes, except when the number of speakers exceeds the 30 minute limit (in which case the presiding officer may extend time allotted for public participation by 15 mins). To facilitate the disposition of Board business, the presiding officer may end or limit the total time for public participation.  

• Prohibiting video or tape recording that obstructs the lines of sight between the Board and the audience or prevents full and unimpeded participation in the Board meeting or otherwise distracts Board or audience members.

The presiding officer may enforce these guidelines by, among other things:  

• Prohibiting public comments that are frivolous, repetitive or harassing;  

• Interrupting, warning or terminating comments that are too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene or irrelevant;  

• Requesting a person leave the meeting when his or behavior interferes the the orderly conduct of the meeting;  

• Requesting the assistance of law enforcement to remove a disorderly person;  

• Call for a recess or adjournment when the lack of public decorum interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting.

About Meetings

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