Clean Copy BC Board Meetings - December 9, 2024 - DCSD Board Meeting Archive

Board Policy Manual
DeKalb County School District

Board Policy BC: Board Mee ngs Status: DRAFT

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

Clean Version

BOARD MEETINGS

All mee ngs under this policy shall be in accordance with the open mee ng requirements of the
State of Georgia.

A. Procedures for Board Mee ngs

A. Board Mee ng No ﬁca on

All regular board mee ng no ces will be available to the general public, and
posted to the board website, as well as posted in the lobby of the board
auditorium located at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain, GA
at least one week before the mee ng.

Wri en no ce will be given at least 24 hours in advance of all other board and
commi ee mee ngs to include the me, place, and date of such mee ng (1) to
all Board of Education members, (2) to the district’s legal organ, (3) by pos ng
wri en no ce in the lobby of the board auditorium located at 1701 Mountain
Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain, GA, (4) by pos ng on the board website,
and (5) to media representa ves who have made a wri en request to receive
such no ces.

When special or emergency circumstances occur and are so declared by the
board or commi ee, a mee ng may be held with less than 24-hours’ no ce
upon giving such no ce of the mee ng and subjects expected to be considered
at the mee ng as is reasonable under the circumstances. No ce will be given to
the legal organ and to any other media representa ve who has made a wri en
request to receive such no ces within the previous calendar year. The reason
for holding the mee ng within 24 hours and the nature of the no ce will be
recorded in the minutes.

B. Board Mee ng Agendas

“The Chair and Superintendent shall confer to develop the agenda for Board
mee ngs. The agenda will include all ma ers expected to come before the board
or commi ee at such mee ng. The agenda will be available upon request and will
be posted at the mee ng site, as far in advance of the mee ng as reasonably
possible, but will not be required to be available more than two weeks prior to the
mee ng and will be posted, at a minimum, at some me during the two-week
period immediately prior to the mee ng. Failure to include on the agenda an item
which becomes necessary to address during the course of a mee ng will not
preclude considering and ac ng upon such item.

The agenda will be provided at least 24 hours prior to the mee ng for members of
the board to have an opportunity to suggest items to be removed from or placed
on the agenda and to ask for addi onal informa on on an agenda item. The
board will use a consent agenda procedure when appropriate, and the agenda will
be followed once approved. The board will 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 mee ngs will be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order Revised to
the extent in conformance with state law. Board Policies will take precedence
when in conﬂict with Robert’s Rules of Order Revised.

The General Counsel will act as parliamentarian.

D. Board Mee ng Quorum

Four members of the Board shall cons tute a quorum at any mee ng, monthly or
special called board mee ng. If a quorum is not present, the mee ng shall be
adjourned and reconvened by the Chair at a me when a quorum is present.

E. Electronic Par cipa on of Board Members

So long as a quorum is present in person, any members may par cipate in board
and commi ee mee ngs by teleconference if necessary due to reasons of health
or absent from the jurisdic on. The board chair may approve if member provides
suﬃcient reason for a ending by teleconference as set forth in the Open
Mee ngs Act. Absent emergency condi ons or the wri en opinion of a
physician or other health professional that reasons of health prevent a member’s
physical presence, no members will par cipate by teleconference more than
twice in one calendar year. Such par cipa ng member will be included in votes
recorded during the mee ng.

There will not be a majority of the board members par cipa ng in any board or
commi ee mee ng by electronic communica on. Any provisions under state
law which contradict the foregoing will be controlling.

F. Vo ng Method

All members present at a mee ng, whether in person or by teleconference will be
eligible to vote. There will be no representa on by proxy of any board member
at any mee ng.
II. Types of Board Mee ngs

A. Board Business Mee ngs

There will be a business mee ng of the board each month at a me and date
determined annually in January by the board and announced by adver sement in
two consecu ve issues of the district’s oﬃcial legal organ. The board may modify
this schedule as allowed by law.

The ﬁrst mee ng held in January of each year will include any required organiza onal
ma ers including, but not limited to, the elec on of a chair and vice-chair,
aﬃrma on of compliance with board policies about 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 Mee ng, and at
such other mes as needed.

These mee ngs will be designed to prepare the consent agenda for the Business
Mee ng, to address other policy and legisla ve ma ers and for in-depth
presenta ons on school system opera ons. Work Sessions are not designed for
formal vote to be taken, but board ac on is allowed for emergency or me-sensi ve
items.

C. Community Mee ngs

Community mee ngs allowing for public comments will be conducted in accordance
with Policy BCBI: Public Par cipa on in Board Mee ngs.

D. Special Board Mee ngs

Special Mee ngs may be called for any purpose by the chair, the superintendent, or
through the chair at the request of a majority of board.

E. Execu ve Sessions

Execu ve session means a por on of a mee ng lawfully closed to the public. In
compliance with the open mee ng requirements of the State of Georgia, no closed
mee ngs of the board or any commi ee of the board will be devoted to the
considera on, discussion or presenta on of ma ers required by law to be presented,
considered or discussed in open mee ngs. In the event that one or more persons in
an execu ve session ini ates a discussion that is not authorized by law, the chair or
presiding member will immediately rule the discussion out of order and all present
will cease the ques oned conversa on. If one or more persons con nue or a empt
to con nue the discussion a er being ruled out of order, the chair will immediately
adjourn the execu ve session.
 reasons for closing the mee ng include:
 Cybersecurity plans, procedures, contracts
 student discipline appeals
 real estate acquisi ons
 individual personnel ma ers
 pending or poten al li ga ons
 or any other ma ers that are required or permi ed by law to be addressed in
closed mee ngs.

F. Board Retreats

At least once each year, the board and the superintendent will 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, opportuni es, and an cipated challenges;

4. Develop and/or review goals;

5. Reﬂect on its educa onal and leadership philosophy and performance; and

6. Conduct a self-assessment of the board’s ac vi es and opera ons.

G. Public Hearings

The board will provide periodic public forums to receive input from ci zens on policy
issues, the educa onal program, and school administra on.

Policy Reference Disclaimer:
These references are not intended to be part of the policy itself, nor do they indicate the basis or authority
for the board to enact this policy. Instead, they are provided as addi onal resources for those interested in the
subject ma er of the policy.

Note: To access the policy references, CLICK HERE: State of Georgia Terms and Condi ons and close the
LexisNexis tab, which will return you to the policy. Click on the links below to be taken to each speciﬁc
code. You should only have to do this one me per session.

State Descrip on
O.C.G.A. 20-02-0058 Regular monthly mee ng of local boards; adjournment;
temporary presiding oﬃcer; no ce of date; template for
ﬁnancial review; open mee ngs

O.C.G.A. 50-14-0001 Open Mee ngs Act; no ce; minutes; telecommunica on
conferences

O.C.G.A. 50-14-0002 Open Mee ngs Act: Certain privileges not repealed

O.C.G.A. 50-14-0003 Excluded proceedings

O.C.G.A. 50-14-0004 Closed mee ng procedures

O.C.G.A. 50-14-0005 Jurisdic on to enforce Open Mee ngs Act

O.C.G.A. 50-14-0006 Penalty for viola on of Open Mee ngs Act; defense

Agenda Item