FILE: BCB
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING RULES OF PROCEDURE
TIME, PLACE AND AGENDA OF REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS
The Jefferson Davis Parish School Board shall hold regular meetings of the School Board at 6:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month, except the month of December, when the School Board shall meet at 10:00 a.m. at a parish school site to be announced by written public notice. The School Board shall meet 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 Procedure, all meetings of the School Board shall be held at its official domicile in Jennings, Louisiana.
A regular meeting of the School Board may be canceled, or the time and place thereof changed, by a motion duly adopted at a regular or special meeting of the School Board. 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 exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, before the meeting.
NOTIFICATION OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS
The School Board shall give written public notice of all regular meetings, if established by resolution, at the beginning of each calendar year. The School Board shall also give written public notice of any regular, special, or rescheduled meeting, no later than twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, before the meeting. In cases of extraordinary emergencies, such notice shall not be required, however, the School Board shall give such notice of the meeting as it deems appropriate and circumstances permit.
Notice for committee meetings shall be given one (1) week in advance of the date of the meeting, whenever possible, but in no case less than twenty-four (24) hours exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, prior to the meeting.
Public notice of any meeting shall include the agenda, date, time, and place of the meeting. The agenda included in the notice shall be reasonably clear so as to advise the public in general terms of each subject to be discussed at the public meeting. In addition, attached to the written notice shall be information on any matters to be discussed in executive session. The notice shall indicate the following:
A statement identifying the court, case number, and the parties relative to any pending litigation to be considered at the meeting.
A statement identifying the parties involved and reasonably identifying the subject matter of any prospective litigation for which formal written demand has been made that is to be considered at the meeting.
Written public notice given by the School Board shall include, but not be limited to:
Posting a copy of the notice at the School Board's central office or by publication of the notice in the School Board's official journal no less than twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, before the scheduled time of the meeting.
Mailing a copy of the notice to any member of the news media who requests notice of such meetings; any such member of the news media shall be given notice of all meetings in the same manner as is given to members of the School Board.
In addition to the above, by providing notice on the School Board’s website no less than twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, immediately preceding the meeting.
SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE SCHOOL 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 call 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. 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 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 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.
A member of the School Board may abstain from voting on an issue before the School Board, whereby his/her vote shall be counted neither for nor against the issue voted upon. In such cases the School Board member shall state that he/she abstains from voting and the minutes shall reflect the member's abstention. The name of each member voting no shall be recorded in the minutes.
Unless specified elsewhere in the rules and regulations or state law, any main motion, resolution or other action of the School Board shall be deemed valid upon a favorable vote of a simple 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. The agenda shall not be changed less than twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, prior to the scheduled time of the meeting.
Each item on the agenda shall be listed separately and described with reasonable specificity. Before the School Board may take any action on the agenda item, the presiding officer shall read aloud the description of the item.
No business matter or item may be placed upon the agenda for any School Board meeting except at the direction of a member of the School Board or the Superintendent, and no business matter or item not listed on such agenda may be considered by the School Board or discussed at the meeting without unanimous approval of the members of the School Board present and voting. 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.
Any person or group of persons wishing to appear before the School Board must submit a request in writing at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting, stating reasons for request.
Not more than ten (10) minutes may be allotted to an individual speaker. No group may have more than one spokesperson who may not use more than ten (10) minutes to present their case except with consent of the School Board.
An individual speaker who appears at a School Board meeting to speak on an agenda item, and who registers prior to the meeting, will be allotted three (3) minutes to speak on the agenda item prior to School Board discussion on the agenda item.
The written agenda prepared by the Superintendent shall list the business of the School Board for a particular meeting in the following order:
AGENDA FOR REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF (Date)
Call to order, invocation and pledge of allegiance.
Roll call for determination of a quorum present.
Approval of minutes.
Unfinished business.
New business.
Under this item shall appear those items requested for the agenda by the Superintendent, a member of the School Board or a School Board Committee prior to the closing of the agenda.
Adjournment.
Meetings of the School Board may be adjourned on motion of the presiding officer or any member of the School Board and will carry unless objections are raised. In the event objection is raised, a vote shall be taken on the motion to adjourn, seconded, and the meeting shall be adjourned on the vote of a majority of the members present and voting.
CONDUCT OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
The purpose of 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 School Board. It is in the best interests of the citizens of this Parish that such meetings 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 decisions by the School Board on those items of business listed on the agenda. To that end, the following rules 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, pledge of allegiance, roll call, and action on the minutes of any previous meeting, the presiding officer shall call, in the order listed on the agenda, first the items under unfinished business and then the items under new business, and shall recognize first the Superintendent or the School Board member who caused such item to be placed on the agenda. A public comment period shall precede each agenda item. 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.
In the event that the School Board should add an item to its agenda after the School Board meeting begins, the School Board President shall orally request of the audience whether anyone in attendance would like to speak on the added agenda item. Each person indicating a desire to do so shall be given an opportunity to address the School Board on each agenda item added. The School Board shall delay deliberations on that agenda item until such time as all interested members of the public have had an opportunity to speak.
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 motion, substitute motion, amending motion, etc. and thus conclude further discussion of same, provided there is a second and 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 a 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, the following rules are established for 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 rooms therein, except by the School Board staff in connection with School Board business and then only with permission of the Superintendent. No signs, posters, or placards which are carried by hand shall be permitted in the School Board office building or any of its rooms.
A public comment period shall be held before any vote is taken on an agenda item. The comment period shall precede each agenda item. 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.
The President may preclude discussion which does not apply to the motion last made. He/she may also minimize or halt discussion of a matter if the School Board has previously agreed to confine discussion to a definite period of time, and that period has been used up. Aside from such limitation, the President may limit debate only with the concurrence of two-thirds (⅔) vote of the members present.
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 applicable laws of the State of Louisiana.
OPEN MEETINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
All meetings of the Jefferson Davis 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 the provisions of state law and School Board policy BCBK, Executive Sessions. The School Board may go into Executive Session at any time and regardless of whether the matter to be discussed in Executive Session is listed on the agenda. 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 December each year, except in an election year, in which case at the first meeting in January following the election, 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:
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.
If more than one person is nominated for the office of President, a vote shall be taken after nominations are closed. All School Board members, including the nominee, may vote for only one nominee.
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 elected.
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, or between two (2) or more candidates for the second highest number of votes, all such candidates shall be included in the run-off election.
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.
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.
After the office of President has been filled, the office of Vice President shall be filled in the same manner set forth above.
REPEAL OR 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.
Revised: May, 1995 | Revised: June, 2005 |
Revised: September, 1997 | Revised: October 16, 2008 |
Revised: February, 1999 | Revised: December 20, 2012 |
Revised: January, 2002 | Revised: October 16, 2014 |
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:54, 17:55, 17:81, 17:83, 42:12, 42:14, 42:15, 42:16, 42:19, 42:19.1
Jackson v. Assumption Parish School Board, App. 1 Cir. 1995, 652 So2d 549, 1994-0901 (La. App. 1 Circ. 3/3/95)
Board minutes, 2-18-99, 1-17-02, 7-21-05, 10-16-08, 12-20-12, 10-16-14
Jefferson Davis Parish School Board