MEETINGS

0161   Parliamentary Authority

Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, governs the Board of Education in the conduct of its meetings unless application of the Rules is inconsistent with the statutes of the State of Alaska, the Alaska Administrative Code, these bylaws, or other relevant law.

 

0162   Quorum

Four voting members of the Board constitute a quorum, and no business may be conducted in the absence of a quorum.

 

0163   Presiding Officer

The President presides at all meetings of the Board.  In the absence, disability, or disqualification of the President, the Vice President presides.  In the absence, disability, or disqualification of the President and Vice President, the Clerk presides.  In the absence, disability, or disqualification of the President, Vice President, and Clerk, the senior ranking member among the remaining Board members presides.

 

0164    Call

Special meetings of the Board are called by the Clerk upon the request of the President or upon receipt of a petition, signed by a majority of the voting members of the Board, requesting such a meeting.

Meetings of the Board are public and must be held at least monthly during the regular school year and as needed during the summer months.

 

J.C. 3.12(d)

J.C. 13.4(e)

J.C. 13.5

 

0165   Notice

 

The Clerk notifies, or causes notification, in writing and no later than three days before a regular meeting, each Board member of the time, date, location, and, to the extent it is known, the agenda of the meeting.  Notice of a special or rescheduled meeting is given no later than twenty-four hours before the meeting.

 

0166    Agenda

 

In consultation with the Board President, the Superintendent prepares an agenda of items of business to come before the Board at each meeting.  The agenda must be available  to each Board member no later than three (3) days before regular meetings and no later than twenty-four hours before special and rescheduled meetings

The agenda for a regular meeting of the Board includes reports and supplementary materials as may be appropriate and necessary to explain the items to be acted upon at the meeting.  Copies of the agenda must be made available to the public and the press.   Copies must be made available in the Superintendent's Office and must be posted in each school before the meeting, and at the place of the meeting.

Any member of the public may request the President to place an item on the Board Agenda.  Each agenda must provide an opportunity for the public to discuss items that are not included on the prepared agenda.

At the discretion of the Superintendent, following consultation with the Board President, an agenda for a special meeting may be prepared without explanatory materials.

At any regular or special meeting of the Board, the order of business must, at minimum, include the following items:

 

                                    Call to Order

                                    Flag Salute

                                    Roll Call

                                    Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting(s)

                                    Report of the Superintendent

                                    Reports of Committees

                                    Opportunity for Public Input

 

0167.1    Voting

To be adopted, motions to amend or adopt draft minutes of prior meetings, to accept reports, to table action on any item, to recess, and to adjourn, must receive the majority vote of the voting members of the Board present at the meeting.  All other motions must receive the majority vote of the voting members of the Board, unless a greater number is required by applicable statute or regulation, parliamentary rules, or these bylaws.

Abstentions are not counted as votes, but must  be recorded. Unless a member abstains from voting because of a declared conflict of interest, the member who abstains is considered to have acquiesced in the outcome of the vote.

A vote may be taken by voice, show of hands, or roll call. Proxy voting is not permitted.  At the request of any member, the Board must be polled and a recorded vote must be entered upon the minutes of the meeting.

The student representative may cast an advisory vote on all motions that are brought before the Board.  If the Board is polled, the advisory vote of the student will be recorded.

 

0167.2      Executive Session

 

The Board may meet in executive session only under the circumstances permitted  in AS 44.62.310(c), which are:

 

1. Matters, the immediate knowledge of which would clearly have an adverse effect upon the finances of the District;

2. Subjects that tend to prejudice the reputation and character of any person, provided the person may request a public discussion;

3. Matters which by law, municipal charter, or ordinance are required to be confidential;

4. Matters involving consideration of government records that by law are not subject to public disclosure.

The specific subject matter to be discussed during an executive session shall be described in the motion calling for the executive session in sufficient specificity to describe the subject of the executive session without defeating the purpose of holding an executive session.  Executive sessions are conducted solely at the discretion of the Board.  Only members of the Board and those expressly invited by the Board to attend may attend an executive session.

The Board may not take any official action during an executive session, except that the Board may give direction to its attorney or a labor negotiator regarding the handling of a specific legal matter or pending labor negotiations.

When the Administration believes that an executive session may be appropriate for the purpose of discussing a subject that may tend to prejudice the character or reputation of an individual, the Administration shall provide advance notification to the affected individual so that the Board may conduct an executive session to discuss the matter.  The notice to the affected person shall state the date, time and place of the meeting in which the person may be discussed and must include notice that the affected individual has the right to request a public discussion of the matter.  On request from an individual affected by a discussion covered by this paragraph, the Board shall hold a public discussion.  An affected individual shall be provided reasonable prior notice of the date, time and place of a Board meeting at which the Board might discuss a matter that may tend to prejudice the individual's character or reputation.

 

0167.3   Adjournment

After a quorum has been established, the Board may, at any time, recess or adjourn a meeting to a time and place certain.  Upon resuming the meeting, the Board must take up its business at the point in the agenda at which the motion to recess or adjourn was adopted.

 

0168   Minutes

The Board must make audio or video tape recordings and written minutes of all of its meetings, except executive sessions held under Bylaw 0167.2.  Tape recordings and minutes are public records and, following adoption by the Board, must be permanently filed in the office of the Superintendent in a manner that preserves the official record of the acts of the Board.  Minutes are not official until they have been adopted by the Board at a regular meeting, or at a special meeting called for that purpose.

 

The minutes of each meeting must show the time and place of the meeting, the members present, the subject(s) considered, the action(s) taken, the vote(s) taken, and any other information required by law.

No later than eleven days following the meeting, or no fewer than three days before the next regular Board meeting, the Clerk must provide, or cause to be provided, a draft copy of the minutes to each Board member.  Copies of drafts of minutes are available to any person upon request to the Superintendent's office; however, drafts of minutes must clearly and prominently state that the minutes have not been adopted by the Board.

Following adoption by the Board, copies of official minutes must be posted in the faculty room and administrative office of each school, sent to the City and Borough Assembly, distributed to the public libraries, and provided to such other agencies and individuals as the Board may determine to be essential to its communications.  Additionally, copies must be made available to the public upon request to the Superintendent's office.

 

0169     Committee Meetings

Committee meetings may be called at any time by the committee chairperson or by a majority of the members of the committee.

A majority of the total membership of a committee constitutes a quorum of the committee.

Committee meetings are open to the public, and any member of the public must be provided a reasonable opportunity to address the committee.  Meetings requiring executive sessions may only be conducted under bylaw 0167.2.