FILE:  BCB

Cf:  BBA, BCBI

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING PROCEDURES

It is the desire of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board that meetings be formal enough for orderly procedure, but informal enough to be natural, to encourage free discussion, and to promote group thinking and action.  In matters of procedures not covered by law, School Board policy, or the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), meetings of the School Board, including committee meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order (Revised).  The President shall be entitled to discuss and vote on all matters before the School Board.

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 decision 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 sub-committees.

The President of the School Board, or in his/her absence, the Vice President of the School Board, shall serve as the presiding officer.

After the call to order, invocation, pledge of allegiance, roll call, approval of minutes, educational presentations/recognitions, Superintendent’s report and legal business, the presiding officer shall call, in the order listed on the agenda, first the items under old business then new business, and shall recognize first the Superintendent (or his administrative designee) 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.

The presiding officer shall allow public comment, no more than three (3) minutes for any one individual, at any meeting of the School Board prior to taking any vote.  The comment period shall be for each agenda item and shall precede each agenda item. The presiding officer shall set a time limitation on an agenda item.  At the conclusion of public input, the presiding officer shall recognize any members of the School Board, the Superintendent and members of the staff designated by the Superintendent, who wish to be heard on that item, in the order the presiding officer deems advisable.  Each School Board member shall be allowed ten (10) minutes to express his/her initial views on any agenda item, motion, substitute motion, or amendment related to each agenda item and five (5) minutes for further comment.  No member of the School Board or staff shall speak without first being recognized by the presiding officer.

Items of business not on the agenda may not be suggested from the floor for discussion except by unanimous approval of the members present at a 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 the event that the School Board should add an item to its agenda after the School Board meeting begins, the presiding officer 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 member 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 any 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 an affirmative vote of two-thirds 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 the School Board policy and procedure and shall have authority to make rulings or interpretation of School Board policy and 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 hereinbelow.

Any member of the School Board who disagrees with a decision by 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.

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:

1. 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.
   
   

2. 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.
   
   

3. 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 the 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 may be authorized by applicable laws of the State of Louisiana.

REPEAL OR SUSPENSION OF RULES OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETING PROCEDURES

Procedures for the conducting of meetings of the School Board and its official committees may not be repealed or amended except by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the School Board.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 42:11, 42:12, 42:13, 42:14, 42:15, 42:16, 42:17, 42:18, 42:19, 42:20, 42:21, 42:22, 42:23, 42:24, 42:25, 42:26, 42:27, 42:28

Jackson v. Assumption Parish School Board, App. 1 Cir. 1995, 652 So2d 549, 1994-0901 (La. App. 1 Circ. 3/3/95)

Board minutes, 11-8-84, 8-8-85, 2-1-89, 2-28-91, 10-17-91, 12-18-94, 2-16-95, 5-7-98, 3-18-04, 8-16-07, 11-6-08, 12-4-08, 3-21-13, 9-4-14, 9-18-14, 4-1-15, 9-8-16, 10-19-17, 7-19-18, 3-14-19, 8-15-19, 9-15-22, 8-8-24

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board