FILE:  BCB

Cf:  BC, BCBG

Cf:  BCBI, BCBK

SCHOOL BOARD PROCEDURES

TIME, PLACE AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

The Beauregard Parish School Board shall hold regular meetings of the School Board at 6:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month to consider those items contained on the agenda prepared for that meeting and each meeting shall be conducted in accordance with these Rules of Procedure.

Except as otherwise provided in these Rules of Procedures, all meetings of the School Board shall be held at its official domicile in DeRidder, Louisiana.

A regular meeting of the School Board may be cancelled, or the time and place thereof changed, by a motion duly adopted at a regular or special meeting of the School Board or in special circumstances, by the School Board President, when requested by two (2) or more members.  Notice of such change and notice of the agenda for any regular School Board meeting shall be given by posting a copy of the notice, and agenda, on the front door of the School Board Office; or by publication of same in the official journal of the School Board no less than twenty-four (24) hours before the meeting.

SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE BOARD

Special meetings of the School Board may be called only by the President or by a majority of the entire School Board except that, when the President is out of the Parish, ill, or otherwise unavailable, the Vice President may call a special meeting of the School Board.

No special meeting may be called except upon written notice to the members of the School Board, Superintendent, and public or by motion adopted at an official School Board meeting.  Such written notice must be signed by the President, Vice-President, or a majority of the members of the entire School Board, as the case may be.

The written notice required herein, or the motion adopted at an official School Board meeting, shall state the date, time and place of such special meeting and shall specify the matters to be considered at such meeting.  No matter or item not stated in the agenda for the special meeting shall be considered by the School Board at such meeting except upon unanimous approval of the members of the School Board present at that meeting.  The motion to add an item not on the agenda shall identify the item with reasonable specificity, including the purpose for the proposed addition to the agenda, and shall be entered into the minutes.  In keeping with state law and School Board policy, prior to any vote to add an item to the agenda, there shall be an opportunity for public comment on the motion.

QUORUM AND VOTE NECESSARY FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

No meeting of the School Board may be officially convened and conducted unless a quorum (simple majority (6) of the total membership of the School Board) is present.

Should a quorum cease to be present after a meeting has been officially convened, the presiding officer shall recess the meeting for such time as is deemed appropriate to attempt to reestablish a quorum and may thereafter declare the meeting adjourned if such a presiding officer determines that a quorum cannot be obtained within a reasonable time.

VOTING PROCEDURE AND REQUIREMENTS

The vote may be taken by a voice vote, a show of hands, or by roll call of the members present at the discretion of the presiding officer.  Each School Board Member must be present in his/her seat in the School Board meeting room in order to have his/her vote counted; and no School Board Member or other person may cast a vote, in any manner, for another member of the School Board.

There shall be no voting by proxy and no voting by secret ballot.

Unless specified elsewhere in the rules and regulations any motion, resolution or other action of the School Board shall be deemed valid upon a favorable vote of a majority of the members of the School Board present and voting.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AGENDA

The Superintendent, with the approval of the President of the School Board, shall prepare a written agenda for each regular School Board meeting which shall list the specific items of business for which School Board action is required.

Items of business may be suggested by School Board members, administrators, or patrons of the district for inclusion on the agenda.  No business item or matter may be placed on the agenda for any School Board meeting except at the direction of a member of the School Board or the Superintendent.  The Superintendent shall be briefed on any item which is to be placed on the agenda.  At any regular or special meeting of the School Board, no business item or matter which has not been listed on such agenda may be considered by the School Board or discussed except upon unanimous approval of the members of the School Board present at that meeting.  The motion to add an item not on the agenda shall identify the item with reasonable specificity, including the purpose for the proposed addition to the agenda, and shall be entered into the minutes.  In keeping with state law and School Board policy, prior to any vote to add an item to the agenda, there shall be an opportunity for public comment on the motion.

CONDUCT OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

The purpose of the School Board meetings is to allow the duly elected representatives of the people to consider and act upon matters of importance to the operation of the school system which are within the jurisdiction and authority of the Beauregard Parish School Board.  It is in the best interests of the citizens of this Parish that such meeting be conducted in an orderly and expeditious manner which permits full presentation of information and viewpoints by interested citizens, followed by thorough discussion among the School Board, the Superintendent and designated members of the staff, and concluded with debate and final decision by the School Board on those items of business listed on the agenda.  To that end, these rules of procedure shall govern the conduct of all meetings of the School Board and its committees and subcommittees.

The President of the School Board, or in his/her absence, the Vice-President of the School Board, shall serve as the presiding officer for all School Board meetings.  In the absence of both the President and the Vice-President, the Superintendent shall serve as the presiding officer until a temporary chairman for that meeting has been elected by a majority vote of those School Board members present and voting.

After the call to order, invocation, and action on the minutes of any previous meeting, the presiding officer shall call, in the order listed on the agenda, and shall recognize first the Superintendent or the School Board member who caused such item to be placed on the agenda.  The Superintendent or School Board member shall then explain the item and make, or recommend, as the case may be, such motion as he/she shall desire.  (Refer to File: BCBI, Public Participation at School Board Meetings, for procedures for allowing participation of public.)

After discussion by the members of the School Board and the Superintendent has been completed, the presiding officer shall call for the vote upon the pending motion or any amendments or substitute motions which may have been made.  During School Board discussion of an agenda item, any School Board member, at any time, may move the question on any pending motions, substitute motion, amending motion, etc. and thus conclude further discussion of same, providing there is an affirmative vote of two-thirds (⅔) of the members present and voting on the motion for the previous question.

The presiding officer of any meeting shall conduct such meeting in accordance with these Rules of Procedure and shall have authority to make rulings on interpretation of these Rules of Procedure and any other matter or question which may arise with regard to conducting the meeting, including recognition of speakers, whether a speaker is out of order, etc.  The decision of the presiding officer shall be final, unless appealed by a School Board member to the entire School Board as set forth herein below.

Any member of the School Board who disagrees with a decision of the presiding officer may appeal such decision to the total School Board.  Such appeal may be taken by a statement to that effect and no second is required.  The presiding officer shall immediately call for a vote on the question of whether or not the ruling of the presiding officer shall be sustained.  Upon a favorable vote of a majority of those School Board members present and voting, including the presiding officer, the rules of the presiding officer shall have been sustained.

In the conduct of meetings of the School Board, any question not covered by these Rules of Procedure shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, revised.

ORDER AND DECORUM AT SCHOOL BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS

It is in the public interest, and the public demands, that meetings of the School Board or its Committees, in handling the public's business, be conducted in an orderly and dignified manner.  To this end, these rules of procedure shall govern the conduct of all persons, including School Board members and staff members, attending a meeting of the School Board or its Committees.

No signs, posters, placards, etc. shall be affixed to the walls, doors, etc. of the School Board office building or any room therein, except by the School Board staff in connection with School Board business and then only with permission of the Superintendent.  No sign, placard, or poster which is carried by hand shall be permitted in the School Board office building or any of its rooms.

All persons attending meetings of the School Board or of its Committees must be recognized by the presiding officer before speaking.  In return, the presiding officer and other School Board members shall courteously receive the comments made by such persons.

Any person who fails or refuses to obey the rulings and directions of the presiding officer, or otherwise disrupts the meeting in any manner, shall be requested by the presiding officer to leave the meeting room for the remainder of that meeting.

If any person refuses to follow the directions of the presiding officer, the presiding officer shall cause such person to be removed from the meeting as authorized by state law.

OPEN MEETINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

All meetings of the Beauregard Parish School Board, all committees of the School Board, and/or any other body created or established by the School Board shall be open to the public and shall be held in accordance with statutory provisions and these Rules of Procedure.

The School Board, its committees and other bodies created or established by it may go into Executive Session by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the members present for the purposes permitted by, and in accordance with state law.  No person, other than a School Board member and the Superintendent, shall be admitted to an Executive Session of the School Board without permission of the School Board President.

OFFICERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD:  ELECTION THEREOF

The School Board, at its first meeting in January each year, shall elect a President and Vice-President from its membership for a term of one (1) year or expiration of his/her term in office, whichever is shorter.  The term of office of such officers shall terminate upon the election of their respective successors.  These officers may be removed during their term of office by a majority vote of the total School Board.

The elections of these officers shall be conducted in the following manner:

1. The office of President of the School Board shall be filled first by nomination by other School Board members, which nominations do not require a second.
   
   

2. If more than one (1) person is nominated for the office of President, a vote shall be taken after nominations are closed.  All School Board members, including the nominees, may vote for only one (1) nominee.
   
   

3. If a nominee receives the votes of a majority of the members of the total School Board on the first ballot, that nominee shall be declared elected.
   
   

4. If no nominee receives a majority of the votes of the total School Board on the first ballot, a second vote shall be taken as between the two (2) nominees receiving the most votes.  If there is a tie vote between more than two (2) candidates for the highest number of votes, all such candidates shall be included in the run-off election.
   
   

5. In the run-off election, the nominee receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected, provided, however, that such nominee must have received the vote of a majority of the total School Board.
   
   

6. In the event of a tie vote, or in the event of no nominee receiving the favorable vote of a majority of the total School Board, voting shall continue until a nominee receives the vote of a majority of the total School Board.  However,

1. 1. If there is no incumbent nominated for the position, and the vote remains tied after four (4) votes, the School Board shall settle the vote by lot; or
      
      

   2. If the incumbent is one of the nominees involved in the tie vote, after four (4) tied ballots, the incumbent shall remain in office until the next regularly scheduled meeting, at which time another vote shall take place.  If the tie vote persists, the incumbent shall retain the office for the remainder of the calendar year, unless removed by a majority vote of the total School Board.

After the office of President has been filled, the office of Vice-President shall be filled in the same manner set forth above.

REPEAL OF SUSPENSION OF RULES OF PROCEDURE

These Rules of Procedure may not be repealed or amended except by the affirmation vote of two-thirds (⅔) of the members of the total School Board.

REPEAL OF PROCEDURES IN CONFLICT

All rules of procedure, policies, etc. previously adopted by the School Board which are in conflict with these Rules of Procedure are hereby repealed.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:54, 17:81, 18:602, 42:12, 42:14, 42:15, 42:16, 42:19, 42:19.1, 42:23

Board minutes, 2-9-87, 4-11-88, 5-27-91, 9-11-97, 10-9-08, 12-8-16

Beauregard Parish School Board