BD SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS
B - SCHOOL BOARD GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS
All Meetings of the Board of Trustees, with the exception of executive sessions, shall be open to the public in accordance with state law. No meeting shall be conducted by electronic means or any other form of communication that does not permit the public to hear, read or otherwise discern meeting discussion contemporaneously.
Regular Meetings
A schedule of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be adopted in June of each year for the following fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). The schedule shall be published on the District website and twice annually in June and December, with the District’s designated newspaper. All regular meetings shall commence at the time indicated on the schedule and unless otherwise indicated, shall be held in the Educational Service Center Board Room at 537 Tenth Street, Evanston, Wyoming. The regular meeting schedule may be amended by a majority vote of the Board as the need shall arise. In such event, the new schedule shall be published as indicated above.
State law requires that a notice of regular Board meetings (and availability of minutes of these meetings) shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district, at least two (2) times each year, once within a week after the first regular meeting in December and once as a part of the statement of revenue and expenditures of the district. If the Board changes the time and place of its regular meetings, notice shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district before the change shall become effective.
Special Meetings
Upon the request of the Board chairman, or upon the request of any two members of the Board, the clerk of the Board shall call a special meeting.
The order of business at a special meeting shall be determined by the agenda constructed by the chairman, as necessary in consultation with the members requesting the meeting and the superintendent. Only those items of business specified in the call of the meeting shall be considered at the special meeting.
Special meetings may be called as provided above by giving verbal, electronic or written notice of the meeting to each member of the Board and to each newspaper of general circulation, radio or television station requesting the notice of the meeting. Notice of special meetings shall specify the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted and shall be issued at least twenty (24) hours prior to the commencement of the meeting. No other business shall be considered at a special meeting. Proof of delivery of verbal notice to a newspaper of general circulation, radio or television station may be made by affidavit of the clerk or other employee or officer of the District charged or responsible for distribution of the notice of the meeting. The Board, in its discretion, may order additional notice of the special meeting to be posted. [W.S. §16-4-404(b)]
Emergency Meetings
The board may hold an emergency meeting on matters of serious immediate concern to take temporary action without notice. Reasonable effort shall be made to offer public notice 24 hours prior to the meeting. All action taken at an emergency meeting is of a temporary nature and in order to become permanent shall be reconsidered and acted upon at an open public meeting within forty-eight (48) hours, excluding weekends and holidays, unless the event constituting the emergency continues to exist after forty-eight (48) hours. In such case the board may reconsider and act upon the temporary action at the next regularly scheduled meeting, but in no event later than 30 days from the date of the emergency action. [W.S. §16-4-404(d)]
Recessed or Adjourned Meetings
Board meetings may be terminated or recessed if the agenda has not been completed by 10:30 p.m.
The Board may recess any meeting to a time and place specified in an order of recess. Only matters appearing on the agenda may be acted upon in a meeting recessed to another location. If a meeting is recessed, a copy of the order of recess shall be conspicuously posted.
Work Session
The Board of Uinta County School District Number One defines a “work session” as a gathering of the Board for planning and thoughtful discussion of problems, issues, and needs of the district that require consideration. No official action will be taken at a work session and the session will be open to the public unless an executive session is warranted in which case the provisions of these policies and Wyoming law shall be followed.
Date, time and place for work sessions will be published as soon as practicable on the District’s website and announced at least 7 days prior to the meeting.
Electronic Meetings
It is the Policy of the District to require the physical presence of a majority of Trustees at each regular, special or other meeting of the Board. It is recognized, however, that conflicts arise which may prevent the physical attendance of one or more Trustee, or presenters at the meeting.
To encourage participation of all Trustees at each regular meeting of the Board, attendance by electronic means at duly noticed meetings may be permitted so long as:
- A quorum of Trustees is physically present at the meeting; and
- The meeting and electronic participation meets the provisions of Wyoming Statutes §16-4-403(d) (as amended) requiring that “No meeting shall be conducted by electronic means or any other form of communication that does not permit the public to hear, read or otherwise discern meeting discussion contemporaneously. Communications outside a meeting , including, but not limited to, sequential communications among members of an agency, shall not be used to circumvent the purpose of this act.”; and
- A Board member who seeks to attend and participate by electronic means in a regular or special Board meeting shall notify the Board President and Superintendent at least three (3) business days prior to a meeting and shall explain the extenuating circumstances that prevent the Board member from physically attending the meeting.
Presenters or other District personnel requesting participation by electronic means shall make such request to the Superintendent at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. The Superintendent shall evaluate the request and determine if the time, space, technology and requirements of Wyoming law for public participation will be met by the request and approve or deny the request accordingly. Wyo. Stat. §16-4-403(d)
Policy References: W.S. 21-3-110(xvi)(A)(B)(C); 21-3-119; 21-3-120 and W.S. 16-4-401 - 407; Attorney General's Opinion, 8-3-73; Wyoming Education Policies Reference Manual, Code BD Policy Cross References:
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