Red Lined Version Board Policy BC Board Meetings 1

                                                                                                     Board Policy Manual
                                                                                             DeKalb County School District




 Board Policy BC: Board Meetings                                                                              Status: DRAFT

 Original Adopted Date: 02/15/2012 | Last Revised Date: 05/04/2015 | Last Reviewed Date: 08/20/2024


​Red Lined Version
All meetings under this policy shall be in accordance with the open meeting requirements of the
State of Georgia.

BOARD MEETINGS
   I. Procedures for Board Meetings

         A. Board Meeting Notification

             For all meetings of the DeKalb County Board of Education and any Board committee, a written notice
             stating the time, place, and date of the meeting shall be delivered to each member not less than 24 hours
             before the meeting.
             All notices of regular bBoard meetings notices shall will be available to the general public, and posted to
             the board website, as well as posted in the lobby of the bBoard auditorium located at 1701 Mountain
             Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain, at least one week in advance, as well as on the Board
             website. before the meeting.
             Written notice shall willbe given at least 24 hours in advance of all other bBoard and committee
             meetings giving to include the time, place, and date of such meeting (1) to all Board of Education
             members, (2) to the official organ for legal announcements,, district's legal organ, (32) by posting written
             notice in the lobby of the bBoard auditorium located at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone
             Mountain, GA, as well as (4) by posting on the bBoard website, and (53) to media representatives who
             have made a written request to receive such notices.
             When special or emergency circumstances occur and are so declared by the bBoard or committee, a
             meeting may be held with less than 24-hours’ notice upon giving such notice of the meeting and subjects
             expected to be considered at the meeting as is reasonable under the circumstances. Notice willshall be
             given to the legal organ and to any other media representative who has made a written request to
             receive such notices within the previous calendar year. The reason for holding the meeting within 24
             hours and the nature of the notice will shall be recorded in the minutes.
         B. Board Meeting Agendas

             The Chair and Superintendent shall confer to develop the agenda for Board meetings. The Board
             meeting agenda shall be properly developed consistent with a good order of business. The agenda
             will shall include all matters expected to come before the bBoard or committee at such meeting. The
             agenda will shall be available upon request and shall be posted at the meeting site, as far in advance of
             the meeting as reasonably possible, but shall not be required to be available more than two weeks prior
             to the meeting and will shall be posted, at a minimum, at some time during the two-week period
             immediately prior to the meeting.Failure to include on the agenda an item which becomes necessary to
             address during the course of a meeting will not preclude considering and acting upon such item.
             The agenda will shall be provided at least 24 hours prior to the meeting for members of the bBoard to
             have an opportunity to suggest items to be removed from or placed on the agenda and to ask for
             additional information on an agenda item. The bBoard willshall use a consent agenda procedure when
             appropriate, and the agenda willshall be followed once approved. The bBoard willshall depart from the
             agenda only when it becomes necessary to do so as determined by the concurrence of a majority of the
             members present.
        C. Rules of Order
            Board meetings willshall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order Revised to the extent in
            conformance with state law. Board Policies willshall take precedence when in conflict with Robert’s
            Rules of Order Revised.
            The Board attorney General Counsel willshall act as parliamentarian.
        D. Board Meeting Quorum
        E. Four members of the Board shall constitute a quorum at any meeting, monthly or special. If a quorum is
           not present at a meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned and reconvened at the call of the Chair. At
           such a called meeting, if a quorum is present, any business may be transacted which might have been
           transacted at the originally scheduled meeting.
Four members of the Board shall constitute a quorum at any meeting, monthly or special called board meeting. If a
quorum is not present, the meeting shall be adjourned and reconvened by the Chair at a time when a quorum is
present.​
   I.   A. Electronic Participation of Board Members

            So long as a quorum is present in person, any members may participate in bBoard and committee
            meetings by teleconference if necessary due to reasons of health or absent from the jurisdiction. The
            board chair may approve if member provides sufficient reason fo attending by teleconference as set
            fourth in the Open Meetings Act. Members present at a duly constituted meeting of the Board must
            approve a member’s request for participation under the provisions of this Section E. Such participating
            member shall be included in votes recorded during the meeting. Absent emergency conditions or the
            written opinion of a physician or other health professional that reasons of health prevent a member’s
            physical presence, no members willshall participate by teleconference more than twice in one calendar
            year under this Section E.Such participating member will be included in votes recorded during the
            meeting.
            There willshall not be a majority of the Board members participating in any bBoard or committee
            meeting by electronic communication. Any provisions under state law which contradict the foregoing
            willshall be controlling.
        B. Voting Method
            All members present at a meeting, whether physically in person or electronically by
            teleconference participating under Section E above, will shall be eligible to vote. There willshall be no
            representation by proxy of any bBoard member at any meeting.

  II. Types of Board Meetings
        A. Board Business Meetings
            There willshall be a business meeting of the bBoard each month at a time and date determined annually
            in January by the bBoard and announced by advertisement in two consecutive issues of the
            district's official legal organ for legal announcements. Generally, Board Business Meetings shall be held
            on the first Monday of each month. The bBoard may modify this schedule as allowed by law.
            Such meetings shall be in accordance with the open meeting requirements of the State of Georgia, and
            at these meetings the Board shall transact business properly brought before it.
            If the date of a meeting falls on a legal holiday in Georgia, such meetings may be held on the next
            succeeding business day. The first meeting held in January of each year willshall include any required
            organizational matters including, but not limited to, the election of a chair and vice-chair, affirmation of
            compliance with board policies about the Board ethics and conflict of interest policies BH and BHA and
   other items as required by law or policy.
B. Board Work Sessions
   The Board will hold a Work Session on the same day as the Business Meeting, and at such other times as
   needed. The Board may schedule work sessions as it deems appropriate.
   Such meetings shall be in accordance with the open meeting requirements of the State of Georgia, and
   Tthese meetings willshall be designed for the preparation of to prepare the consent agenda for the
   Business Meeting, to address other policy and legislative matters and for in-depth presentations on
   school system operations. It is the intent that Work Sessions are not designed for formal vote to be
   taken, but if action is needed on an board action is allowed for emergency or time-sensitive item, specific
   action may be taken.
C. Community Meetings
   Community meetings providing for public comments shall be conducted in accordance with Policy
   BCBI. Such meetings shall be in accordance with the open meeting requirements of the State of
   Georgia.
D. Special Board Meetings
   Special meetings may be called for any purpose by the chair, the superintendent, or through the chair at
   the request of a majority of the board. Special meetings of the Board for any purpose may be called by
   the Chair, by the Superintendent as secretary ex-officio to the Board, or through the Chair at the request
   of a majority of members. Such meetings shall be in accordance with the open meeting requirements of
   the State of Georgia.
   Executive Sessions
   Executive session means a portion of a meeting lawfully closed to the public. In compliance with the
   open meeting requirements of the State of Georgia, no closed meetings of the bBoard or any committee
   of the bBoard willshall be devoted to the consideration, discussion or presentation of matters required
   by law to be presented, considered or discussed in open meetings. In the event that one or more
   persons in an executive session initiates a discussion that is not authorized by law, the cChair or
   presiding member willshall immediately rule the discussion out of order and all present willshall cease
   the questioned conversation. If one or more persons continue or attempt to continue the discussion
   after being ruled out of order, the chair presiding officer willshall immediately adjourn the executive
   session. Reasons for closing the meeting include: Cybersecurity plans, procedures, contracts, student
   discipline appeals, real estate acquisitions, individual personnel matters, pending or potential Litigations,
   or an other matters that are required or permitted by law to be addressed in closed meetings.
A. Annual Board Retreats
   At least once each year, the bBoard and the sSuperintendent willshall conduct a retreat to:

      1. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the District;
      2. Consider any compelling problems or emerging issues;
      3. Study and explore trends, opportunities, and anticipated challenges;
      4. Develop and/or review goals;
      5. Reflect on its educational and leadership philosophy and performance; and
      6. Conduct a self-assessment of the bBoard’s activities and operations.
   Such retreat shall be held in accordance with the open meeting requirements of the State of Georgia.
G. Public Hearings

   The bBoard willshall conduct provide periodic public forums from time to time, especially when dealing
   with controversial issues or matters of deep community concern, to receive input from citizens on policy
   issues, the educational program, and school administration. Such forums shall be in accordance with the
   open meeting requirements of the State of Georgia.
H. Committee Meetings

   Ad hoc Board committee meetings shall held as set out in Board Policy BBC, Board Committees. Such
   meetings shall be in accordance with the open meeting requirements of the State of Georgia.