BD/BDA - Board Meetings

The Board has the authority to act only when a quorum is present at a duly called regular, special or emergency meeting.  “Meeting” means the convening of a quorum of the Board as the district’s governing body to make a decision or to deliberate toward a decision on any matter.  This includes meeting for the purpose of gathering information to serve as the basis for a subsequent decision or recommendation by the governing body, i.e. a work session.  The affirmative vote of the majority of members of the Board is required to transact any business.

All regular, special and emergency meetings of the Board will be open to the public except as provided by law.  All meetings will be conducted in compliance with state and federal statutes.  All Board meetings, including Board retreats and work sessions, will be held within district boundaries.  The Board may attend training sessions outside the district boundaries but cannot deliberate or discuss district business.[1]  No meeting will be held at any place where discrimination on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation[2], age or national origin is practiced.

The Board will give public notice reasonably calculated to give actual notice to interested persons, including those with disabilities, of the time and place for all Board meetings and of the principal subjects to be considered.  The Board may consider additional subjects at a meeting, even if they were not included in the notice.

If requested to do so at least 48 hours before a meeting held in public, the Board shall provide an interpreter for hearing-impaired persons.  Other appropriate auxiliary aids and services will be provided upon request and appropriate advance notice.  Communications with all qualified individuals with disabilities shall be as effective as communications with others.

All meetings held in public shall comply with the Oregon Indoor Clean Air Act and the smoking provisions contained in the Public Meetings Law.

No later than the next regular meeting following July 1, the Board will hold an organizational meeting to elect Board officers for the coming year and to establish the year’s schedule of Board meetings. 

Special meetings can be convened by the Board chair upon request of three Board members, or by common consent of the Board at any time to discuss any topic.  A special meeting may also be scheduled if less than a quorum is present at a meeting or additional business still needs to be conducted at the ending time of a meeting.  At least 24 hours’ notice must be provided to all Board members, the news media, which have requested notice, and the general public for any special meeting.

Emergency meetings can be called by the Board in the case of an actual emergency upon appropriate notice under the circumstances.  The minutes of the emergency meeting must describe the emergency.  Only topics necessitated by the emergency may be discussed or acted upon at the emergency meeting.

Electronic communications may contain:

d.  One-way information from Board members or the superintendent to each Board
     member (e.g., an article on student achievement or to share a report on district
     progress on goals) so long as  that information is also being made available to the public;
e.  Individual responses to questions posed by community members, subject to other
     limitations in  Board policy.

4.  Work Sessions
The Board may use regular or special meetings for the purpose of conducting work sessions to provide its members with opportunities for planning and thoughtful discussion.  Work sessions will be conducted in accordance with state law on public meetings, including notice and minutes.

5.  Executive Sessions
Executive sessions may be held as an agenda item during regular, special or emergency meetings for a reason permitted by law.  (See Board policy BDC - Executive Sessions)

END OF POLICY

ORS 174.100
ORS 174.104
ORS Chapter 192
ORS Chapter 193
ORS 332.040 to -332.061
ORS 433.835 to -433.875

^[2]As defined in ORS 174.100.