All meetings of the Board shall be public meetings and shall be open to the public at all times with the exception of closed session as described under Iowa law.
Advance public notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting and reconvened meeting, and the tentative agenda shall be provided. When it is necessary to hold an emergency meeting without notice, the nature of the emergency shall be stated in the minutes.
Regular Meetings
The regular meeting time and date shall be set by the Board at its organizational meeting in odd- numbered years and at its September regular meeting in even-numbered years. Regular meetings of the Board will be held on the second Monday of each month.
Meetings will be held in the meeting place officially designated by the Board, which will be accessible to the public.
During the September regular meeting in even-numbered years, the Board shall elect from its membership a President and a Vice-President and shall appoint a Secretary and Treasurer.
Organizational Meetings
An organizational meeting shall be held during the first regular meeting after the canvass of votes of the regular school election.
The meeting shall be called to order by the Secretary acting as temporary chairperson.
The first order of business during the organizational meeting shall be to swear into office any new members unless they have been so sworn previously. During the organizational meeting, the Board shall then elect from its membership a President and a Vice-President and shall appoint a Secretary and Treasurer.
Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Board may be called at any time by the President or by the Secretary of the Board upon the written request of the majority of the Board. Written notice, stating the time and place of any special meeting and the purpose for which it is called, shall be delivered to each Board Member in sufficient time to allow for delivery of notice in advance of such meeting. No business other than that stated in the notice shall be transacted at such meeting.
Annual Meetings
At the regular September meeting the Board shall examine the books of the Treasurer for the year ending on 30th day of June preceding, and transact such other business as may properly come before it. The Treasurer shall furnish the Board with a sworn statement from each depository showing the balance.
Reconvened Meetings
At a reconvened meeting, where the meeting was reconvened within four (4) hours of the start of the recess of the scheduled meeting and the date, time and place of the reconvened meeting is announced at the scheduled meeting in open session and recorded in the minutes of the meeting, the Board is not required to provide further notice of the meeting.
Closed Session
The Board may hold a closed session only by affirmative public vote of either two-thirds of the members of the body or all of the members present at the meeting. The Board may hold a closed session for any of the reasons listed in Chapter 21.5 of the Iowa Code. No formal action of any kind may be taken in a closed session.
Electronic Meetings
The Board may conduct a meeting by electronic means such as a telephone conference call only “in circumstances where such a meeting in person is impossible or impractical.” Public access to the conversation must be provided “to the extent reasonably possible.” Public notice must be given for the electronic meeting and minutes kept, which include the reason for not holding a meeting in person.
Work Sessions and Retreats
The Board may schedule work sessions and retreats from time to time in order to provide its members and the administrative staff with such opportunities. Topics for discussion and study will be announced publicly and work sessions and retreats will be conducted in accordance with the state law.
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Approved: 7/3/78 |
Reviewed: |
Revised: 9/17/12; 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
The Board recognizes the importance of citizen participation in school district matters. In order to assure citizens are heard and board meetings are conducted efficiently and in an organized manner, the Board may set time aside for citizen participation, either at a specific time during the meeting or during the discussion of agenda items. If the pressure of business or other circumstances dictate, the board president may decide to not set time aside for citizen participation.
Citizens wishing to address the Board on a certain agenda item must notify the superintendent prior to the board meeting. Citizens wishing to present petitions to the Board may do so at this time. However, if a petition is presented, the Board will only receive the petition and not act upon it or its contents. The Board has the discretion to limit the amount of time set aside for public participation.
If the Board has set time aside for citizen participation and citizens wish to address the Board, the board president will recognize these individuals to make their comments at the appropriate time. The orderly process of the board meeting will not be interfered with or disrupted. Only those speakers recognized by the board president will be allowed to speak. Comments by others are out of order. If disruptive, the individual making comments or another individual causing disruption may be asked to leave the board meeting.
Individuals who have a complaint about an employee may ask the board to hear their complaint only after they have followed the board policy addressing citizens’ complaints. Students who have a complaint may ask the board to hear their complaint only after they have followed board policy addressing students’ complaints.
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Approved: 2/11/13 |
Reviewed: 1/14/19 |
Revised: |
Personnel Grievances
Communications, grievances, and complaints from personnel shall first be brought to the attention of the Superintendent of Schools before being brought before the Board of Directors. An employee or group of employees may at any time appeal a decision of the Superintendent to the Board.
Personnel desiring to address the Board on any matter shall direct their communication to the Superintendent of Schools and not to the individual members of the Board, except that copies of any communication to the Superintendent be sent to all members.
Complaints against any employee which arise from within the membership of the Board, or which come to the attention of the Board, except through the Superintendent, shall be referred to the Superintendent of Schools for decision. In case either the employee or the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the Superintendent, appeal may be taken to the Board. No complaint shall be considered by the Board in any other manner.
Citizen's Grievances
Whenever a citizen is aggrieved at the action of any employee, such citizen may give information to the employee's immediate supervisor. In the event that the matter is not satisfactorily resolved, the appeal process will follow this order:
1. Other supervisory or administrative personnel in the line of responsibility
2. The Superintendent of Schools
3. The Board of Directors
No appeal will be heard by the Board of Directors and no charges against the employees will be investigated or acted upon by the Board unless reduced to writing, signed by the party bringing the same, and presented to the Board through the Superintendent of Schools. It is within the board’s discretion to determine whether to hear the complaint.
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Approved: 11/14/67 |
Reviewed: 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
Revised: 11/9/09 |
Public hearings may be held on school district matters at the discretion of the board. Public notice of a public hearing will be in the same manner as for a board meeting except that the notice will be given at least ten days before the hearing is to be held unless it is impossible or impractical to do so, or the law requires otherwise.
At public hearings, citizens of the district who register at the door will be allowed to speak on the issue for which the public hearing is being held. Others may be allowed to speak at the board's discretion. Speakers are asked to keep their remarks as brief as possible. Prior to the beginning of the hearing, speakers and spectators will be apprised of the rules of order to be followed regarding time limitations, questions, remarks and rebuttals. In no event will a speaker be allowed to take the time of another speaker.
The board will conduct public hearings in an orderly fashion. At the beginning of the hearing, statements, background materials and public hearing rules and procedures will be presented by the board president. The board president will recognize the speakers. A board member may ask questions of the speakers after receiving permission from the board president. Only those speakers recognized by the chair will be allowed to speak. Comments by others are out of order. Individuals who interfere with or interrupt speakers, the board or the proceedings will be asked to leave.
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Approved: 3/13/89 |
Reviewed: 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
Revised: 9/17/12 |
Public notices shall be given for meetings and work sessions and retreats held by the Board.
Public notice shall indicate the time, place, date and tentative agenda of the meeting, work session or retreat. The public notice shall be posted in a prominent place that is easily accessible to the public and is clearly designated for purpose of the same within the District’s office and/or the building where the meeting is to be held at least twenty-four (24) hours before the meeting is to occur.
A copy of the public notice will be provided to those who have filed a written request for notice with the Board secretary. A copy of the public notice will also be accessible by employees and students.
In the case of special meetings, public notice shall be given in the same manner as for a regular meeting unless it is an emergency meeting. If the meeting is an emergency meeting, public notice of the meeting shall be given as soon as practical and possible in light of the situation. The media and others who have requested notice shall be notified of the emergency meeting. Attendance at special meetings or emergency meetings by the media or a Board member shall constitute a waiver of the meeting.
It shall be the responsibility of the Board Secretary to give public notice of Board meetings and work sessions.
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Approved: 2/12/79 |
Reviewed: 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
Revised: 9/17/12 |
The majority of the members of the Board shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. A majority vote of those members present shall be necessary and sufficient to pass any motion or to take any action of the Board, unless state law or Board policies require the vote of a greater number of Board members on a particular issue.
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Approved: 11/14/67 |
Reviewed: 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
Revised: 9/17/12 |
The board will keep and maintain permanent records of the board including, but not limited to, records of the minutes of board meetings and other required records of the board.
It is the responsibility of the board secretary to keep the minutes of the board meetings. The minutes of each board meeting will include, at a minimum, the following items: a record of the date, time, place, members present, action taken and the vote of each member, and the schedule of bills allowed will be attached. This information will be available within two weeks of the board meeting and forwarded to the newspaper designated as the official newspaper for publication. The information does not need to be published within two weeks. The schedule of bills allowed may be published on a once monthly basis in lieu of publication with the minutes. The permanent records of the board minutes may include more detail than is required for the publication of the minutes.
Minutes waiting approval at the next board meeting will be available for inspection at the central administration office after the board secretary transcribes the notes into type written material which has been proofread for errors and retyped.
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Approved: 7/12/93 |
Reviewed: 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
Revised: 8/9/10 |
A complete and accurate set of minutes of each regular and special board meeting shall be kept to comply with all legal requirements. Minutes of all of the regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be kept showing the time, date, and place, the members present, and the action taken at each meeting. Minutes leading to a closed session shall include the vote of each member on the question of holding the closed session and the reason for the closed session, but the statement of such reason need not state in the minutes the name of any individual or the details of the matter discussed in the closed session.
A copy of the minutes shall be sent to each member of the Board of Directors before the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Secretary of the Board shall furnish a copy of the proceedings as indicated by the minutes within a reasonable amount of time following the adjournment of the meeting to the school district’s official newspaper for publication.
Minutes shall be kept in an official record book specified for that purpose and shall be kept on file as the official record of legislation of the District and shall be open to public inspection. Examination of the official record book by any citizen or group of citizens must be made at the location where the District maintains the records, and under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Board.
A complete and accurate set of minutes will be made of each meeting and/or session of the Board as required by law. A complete and accurate set of minutes and complete audio recordings will be made of each closed session of the Board as required by law. The Board Secretary will be custodian of the minutes and audio recordings from a closed session, which shall be maintained as required by law.
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Approved: 7/12/93 |
Reviewed: 1/14/19 |
Revised: 8/9/10; 2/11/13 |
In matters of procedure not covered by these policies, Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern. The subsequent policy provides matters or procedures which overrule Robert’s Rules of Order.
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Approved: 11/14/67 |
Reviewed: 1/14/19 |
Revised: 8/9/10; 2/11/13 |
The following rules of procedure have been adopted by the Board at the annual or organizational meeting:
1. Board members need not rise to gain the recognition of the Board president.
2. All motions will be made as a positive action.
3. A motion will be adopted or carried if it receives an affirmative vote from more than half of
the votes cast. Only "yes" and "no" votes are counted in this calculation. It should be noted
that some motions require larger numbers of affirmative votes, such as to move into a closed
session.
4. All motions shall receive a second, prior to opening the issue for discussion of the board. If
a motion does not receive a second, the Board president may declare the motion dead for
lack of a second.
5. The Board president may decide the order in which Board members will be recognized to
address an issue. An attempt should be made to alternate between pro and con positions.
6. The Board president shall rule on all motions that come before the Board.
7. The Board president may rule on points of order brought before the Board.
8. The Board president shall have complete authority to recognize a member of the audience
regarding a request to participate in the Board meeting. Members of the public who wish to
participate shall follow Board policy.
9. The Board president has the authority to declare a recess at any time for the purpose of
restoring decorum to the meeting.
10. The Board president has the same authority and responsibility as each board member to
vote on all issues.
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Approved: 11/14/67 |
Reviewed: 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
Revised: 8/9/10 |
The tentative agenda for each Board meeting will state the topics for discussion and action at the Board meeting. The agenda is part of the public notice of the board meeting and will be posted and distributed.
It is the responsibility of the Board president and superintendent to develop the agenda for each Board meeting. Persons requesting to place an item on the agenda must make a request to the superintendent prior to the drafting of the tentative agenda. The person making the request must state the person’s name, address, purpose of the presentation, action desired, and pertinent background information. Requests from the public may be added to the tentative agenda at the discretion of the superintendent after consultation with the Board president. Requests received after the deadline may only be added to the agenda for good cause. The tentative agenda and supporting documents will be sent to the Board members prior to the scheduled Board meeting. These documents are the private property of the Board member. Persons wishing to view the tentative agenda and supporting documents may do so at the central administrative office.
The Board will take action only on the items listed on the tentative agenda posted with the public notice. Items added to the agenda may be discussed or taken under advisement by the Board. If an added item is acted upon, the minutes of the board meeting will state the reason justifying the immediate action.
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Approved: 11/14/67 |
Reviewed: 2/11/13; 1/14/19 |
Revised: 9/17/12
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Votes on all motions and resolutions will be by “ayes” and “nayes” and will be recorded based upon the individual member who is voting. All motions will be carried by a majority of the members present and voting or as otherwise required by law.
Final action on any matter before the Board may be taken only in open session, unless some other provision of the Code of Iowa permits action to be taken in closed session.
When the Board of Directors votes on the question of holding a closed session, the vote of each member and the reason for holding the closed session by reference to a specific exemption must be announced publicly at the open session and entered into the minutes.
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Approved: 2/11/13 |
Reviewed: 1/14/19 |
Revised: |