1120
Policy
Community Relations
Board of Education
Meetings
Meetings of the board of
education are conducted for the purpose of acting upon the business of the
school district. As an elected,
representative body, the board will provide rules and regulations which
encourage the receipt of communications from citizens of the district.
Citizens of the district are
encouraged to attend open sessions of regular, special and adjourned meetings
of the board and may be permitted to be in attendance during closed sessions of
the board, when such attendance is judged to be appropriate for purposes of
information to the board when a request, proposal or complaint is being
considered.
The agenda for each regular
meeting of the board of education shall provide for an item entitled “Communications
from the Public.” (See 9365)
The board may make and
enforce reasonable rules and regulations regarding the conduct of persons
attending its meetings and regarding their privilege to speak. (See 9364)
The board is not obligated
to act on any request unless the same has been submitted to the superintendent
or a board member sufficiently in advance to allow the same to have been
incorporated into the agenda for the meeting. (See 9364)
Legal Reference: R.R.S.
79-555 Class III school
district; board of education; meetings; when held.
Adopted: October 4, 1983
Communications with the
Public
Board of Education
Meetings
All meetings of the Board of
Education shall be conducted in compliance with appropriate policy and state
statutes as provided in R.R.S. 84-1408 through 84-1414.
The Board of Educational
normally convenes on the first and third Mondays of the month. Holidays and unexpected conflicts may create
exceptions to this practice. The Board of Education will convene in special
session whenever it is deemed necessary for the efficient operation of the
school district. Board of Education meetings
are called to order at 7:30 PM unless the call for the meeting stipulates
another time.
Regular and special meetings
of the Board of Education will be held in the High School Library at
Official published notice of
the time and place of a regular board meeting will be posted in accordance with
state law and district policy.
Agendas for regular meetings
of the Board of Education shall be prepared in advance and kept current and available
in the Superintendent’s Office. The agenda shall not be altered later than
twenty-four hours in advance of the scheduled commencement of the meeting
unless the item is an emergency.
Business items of an emergency nature may be placed on the agenda by a
majority vote of the Board of Education.
Agendas for special meetings of the Board of Education will be stated in
the call for the meetings and will be limited to those special issues. The Superintendent of Schools prepares the
agenda. Items may be placed on the
agenda by the Superintendent or at the request of members of the Board.
If the Superintendent places
an item on the agenda after the agenda has been mailed to members but 24 hours
or more prior to the meeting the board of education shall approve the change in
the mailed agenda.
Public Participation
The Board of Education
invites the public to offer comments during the Communications from the Public,
New or Old Business portions of the agenda.
Public requesting to offer comment during the
Communications from the Public shall make a request to speak at the time
designated on the agenda. The individual
must state the purpose and general nature of his or her appearance before the
Board. The Board President shall indicate
how much time will allotted to each speaker. Speakers
normally will be given five minutes with a maximum of 20 minutes set aside for
such communications.
Members of the Public may
speak to the Board regarding items listed on the agenda as a part of New or Old
Business. Members of the Public requesting to speak to an item considered New or Old
Business shall notify the Board President or presiding officer at the
designated time on the agenda when public participation is determined and
should limit themselves to five (5) minutes.
Normally up to twenty minutes may be allotted for public input. Action normally will not be taken during New
Business. Equal time shall be allotted
to individuals speaking for and against a proposal when opposing points of view
are represented at a board meeting.
The Board invites members of
the public to share information they may have regarding a topic. Questions are asked to direct any questions
for the Board to the Board President.
The President may answer the question, may direct the question to the
administration or may defer the question for a response at a later time in
order gather necessary information. If a
patron anticipates asking the Board questions, it is requested that the
questions be submitted to the Board President or Superintendent at least 5
working days in advance of the meeting so that a response can be prepared for
the meeting. Questions for individual
board members should be directed to them prior to or following meetings in
order that meetings may run more efficiently.
If, at any Board meeting,
any person shall conduct himself or herself in a disorderly manner, and after
notice of the president or the person presiding, shall persist therein, the
president or person presiding may order him or her to withdraw from the
meeting. On his or her refusal to
withdraw, the president or presiding officer may order any constable or any
other person or persons to take him into custody until the meeting is
adjourned.
Meetings may be
recorded. Recording must be done so as
not to disrupt the meeting. Refer to
Board Policy for media coverage.
Legal Reference: R.R.S. 84-1408 to 84-1414 Public
Meetings
Adopted: March 2, 1998