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2350 Board Meeting Procedures

  • 2000: Board Governance Operations
2350 Board Meeting Procedures

Board of Education meetings shall be open to the public and conducted in accordance with Article 7 of the Public Officers Law, known as the “Open Meetings Law,” and other applicable statutes.

Regular Meetings

The Board of Education shall meet at least one time each month for the purpose of conducting the business of the District. The dates and times of the regular monthly meetings will be established at the annual organizational meeting, but subject to change by the Board of Education, as necessary. In addition to the members of the Board, the following individuals will regularly attend the business meetings of the Board: the Superintendent of Schools, and any other specified personnel as deemed necessary.

Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Board of Education may be called on at least 24 hours notice to all Board members, if practicable, at the direction of the Board President or upon the request of any Board member.

Executive Sessions

All executive sessions shall be conducted during the course of an open meeting of the Board of Education. The Board of Education may, by a majority vote, convene into executive session to discuss any subject matter permitted under the Open Meetings Law:

  1. Matters which will imperil the public safety if disclosed;
  2. Matters which may disclose the identity of a law enforcement agent or informer;
  3. Information relating to current or future investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense which would imperil effective law enforcement if disclosed;
  4. Discussions regarding proposed, pending or current litigation; if pending or current litigation, the name of the litigation shall be given;
  5. Collective negotiations under the Taylor Law (Article 14, Civil Service Law);
  6. Medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person, student, firm or corporation or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person, student, firm or corporation;
  7. The preparation, grading or administration of examinations;
  8. The proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof.

Other exemptions from the Open Meetings Law requirements include matters made confidential by Federal or State law, such as meetings with the School Attorney, matters relating to students, and judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings, such as due process hearings and appeals to the Board of Education, and Board retreats.

The Board of Education may invite persons other than Board members into the executive session whose presence would be of relevance to the issue being discussed. Persons attending executive sessions shall respect the confidential nature thereof and shall not disclose confidential information acquired at such executive sessions. 

Minutes will not be taken in executive session unless formal action is taken (e.g., voting upon §3020-a Education Law charges or voting upon the placement of students with disabilities).

Notice of Meetings

Notice of meetings scheduled at least one week in advance shall be given to all members of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools and news media, as well as conspicuously posted in one or more designated public places at least 72 hours prior to the meeting, including the District’s website. When meetings are scheduled less than one week in advance, the Board of Education shall provide public notice to the extent practicable. Said notice shall be conspicuously posted in one or more designated public locations, including the district's website.

Quorum and Voting

A majority of the members of the Board of Education (at least four members) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a Board meeting. If a quorum is not present within 20 minutes of the time set for a Board meeting, the meeting will be rescheduled. Notice of the rescheduled meeting will be given to all members of the Board of Education, the public and news media to the extent practicable, depending upon the date to which the meeting is rescheduled.

The Board of Education shall take action by voting upon resolutions presented by one Board member and seconded by another. A majority vote of the full Board of Education is required to adopt a resolution, except in circumstances when a super-majority vote is required:

  1. Discontinuing a designated textbook within five years of adoption requires a three-quarters (3/4) vote of the Board of Education;
  2. If a relative, by blood or marriage, of a Board member is employed in a teaching position or appointed to tenure, a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Education is required;
  3. Standardization on a particular type of equipment or supplies of more than $10,000 must be determined to be in the best interests of the District by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Education;
  4. A vote to place a proposition before the voters for an object or purpose for which bonds may be issued requires a three-fifths (3/5) vote of the Board of Education;
  5. To expend money in a repair reserve fund in an emergency (without first holding a public hearing), a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Education.

All actions requiring a vote can be conducted by voice, show of hands or roll call. The vote of each Board member shall be recorded on each action of the Board of Education.

Rules of Order

The presiding officer is responsible for the orderly conduct of Board meetings, but each Board member is responsible for their own conduct.

The Board of Education shall use Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, as a guideline for conducting meetings of the Board of Education, except when such provisions are inconsistent with law or policy, or are suspended by majority vote of the Board of Education. The Board of Education may, at its discretion, waive Robert's Rules and substitute its own procedures by a majority vote of the Board of Education.

Order of Business

Each Brentwood Board of Education meeting shall be conducted in an orderly manner, which provides time for and encourages community involvement. The order* of business at each regular meeting shall be as follows:

  1. Call to Order
  2. Motion to enter into Public Session
  3. Motion to recess Public Session and entered into Executive Session, if necessary
  4. Executive Session, if necessary
  5. Motion to exit Executive Session and return to the Public Meeting, if necessary
  6. Pledge of Allegiance
  7. Questions – Agenda Items ONLY - Maximum of 15 minutes (3 minutes for each community member)
  8. Special Presentation (when necessary)
  9. Student Liaison Report
  10. Financial Reports
  11. Items for Action or Discussion
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Personnel Items
  • Attendance at Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, etc.
  • New and Revised Policies/Regulations
  • Enrollment Figures
  • Reports and Recommendations of the Superintendent of Schools
  1. Committee on Special Education and Related Matters CPSE and CSE Placements
  2. Legal Matters
  3. Employee Matters
  4. Questions from the Audience - Maximum of 30 minutes (3 minutes for each community member)
  5. Items for Information
  6. Motion to Adjourn

The regular order of business may be changed at any meeting (and for that meeting only) by an affirmative vote of a majority. Voting for the proposed change shall take place in the regular order of business.

*Note: To make more efficient use of meeting time, the Board of Education authorizes the use of a consent agenda as part of its regular meeting agenda. The consent agenda will condense the routine business of the Board (e.g., approving Board minutes, reviewing monthly expenses) into either a single motion or several categorical motions such as personnel, warrants and minutes. The consent agenda will be prepared by the Superintendent of Schools in consultation with the President of the Board. Individual items on a consent agenda will not be discussed prior to action. However, if any Board member believes that any item on the consent agenda requires discussion that Board member may request that the item be removed from the consent agenda and the item shall be removed. The removed item shall then move to the regular agenda. All items not removed will be moved, seconded and voted upon either in one motion or in several categorical motions without discussion.

The Board may adjourn a regular or special meeting at any place in the agenda providing that arrangements are made to complete the items of business on the agenda at a future meeting. The minutes shall make notice of the adjournment and the reconvened session shall be considered an addition to these minutes.

Minutes

Minutes will be taken by the District Clerk at all Board meetings in accordance with the Open Meetings Law. All motions, resolutions, and any other matters formally voted upon by the Board of Education shall be recorded in the minutes, including the final vote of each Board Member.

Ref: 1230 Public Participation at Board Meetings

Cross-ref: 9368.31, By-Law of the Board of Education
9368.32, By-Law of the Board of Education

Approved by the Board of Education: 08/21/08

Revision approved by the Board of Education: 02/13/13

Revision approved by the Board of Education: 07/18/24

Revision approved by the Board of Education: 06/12/25

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