9321 - Time, Place and Notifications of Meetings
Policy 9321
Bylaws of the Board
Time, Place and Notification of Meetings
Regular Meetings
The Board of Education shall set their schedule of regular meetings at the first meeting in November and provide it to the Town Clerk, no later than January 31st of each year, and shall post the schedule on the District's website.
Agendas for regular Board of Education meetings shall be available to the public in the Superintendent of School’s office, posted on the District’s website, and provided to the Town Clerk not less than 24 hours in advance of the meeting time.
Committee Meetings
Notice of committee meetings will follow the same guidelines as regular and special meetings.
Special Meetings
Special meetings shall be called by the Chairperson upon a request of three members or whenever deemed necessary by the Chairperson. Notice and agenda of each special meeting of the Board of Education shall be filed not less than twenty-four hours in advance of the meeting to the Town Clerk. The special meeting shall be posted on the District's website. No other business shall be considered by the Board at that special meeting. Each member of the Board of Education shall be notified by the Superintendent or Chairperson not less than 24 hours prior to the time of the special meeting and shall be advised of the time, place and business to be transacted, although any Board member may waive the 24 hour notification by a written waiver of notice to the purpose.
Request for Notification of Meetings
Notification of meetings will be emailed or mailed to persons filing a written request renewable in January of each year. The Board of Education will charge a fee for these notices based upon cost of the service, as provided by law.
Attendance at Meetings via Electronic Communications
The Board of Education authorizes that the Board Chairperson or presiding officer may allow Board members to participate electronically in a Board meeting if there is good reason why the Board members cannot attend in person and the request is received sufficiently in advance to allow a good quality electronic connection to be set up. Meetings in which some Board members participate electronically are subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. Due to security concerns, electronic participation in closed executive sessions will not be permitted.
The Board may allow members to participate in meetings by telephone or other electronic means. Board members may not simply vote electronically, but must be connected with the meeting throughout the discussion of business. If a Board member electronically joins the meeting after an item of business has been opened, the remotely located member shall not participate until the next item of business is opened.
When a Board member participates electronically, the member will be considered present and will have his or her actual physical presence excused. The member shall be counted present for purposes of convening a quorum. The Board Secretary will document it in the Minutes when members participate in the meeting electronically.
A member who is attending electronically must identify him/her self by name and be recognized by the Chairperson before speaking. When a member attends a meeting electronically, all votes shall be by roll call vote.
Any Board member wishing to participate in a meeting electronically will notify the Board Chairperson and Superintendent as early as possible. The Superintendent will arrange for the meeting to take place in a location with the appropriate equipment so that Board members participating in the meeting electronically may interact and the public may observe or hear the comments made. (Each part of the meeting shall be audible to the public at the location specified in the notice for the meeting. The location designated in the notice as the location of the meeting shall provide two-way communication during the entire meeting and the identification of each party shall be clearly stated prior to the meeting.) The Superintendent will take measures to verify the identity of any remotely located participants.
Workshop Meetings
The Board may hold periodic workshop meetings for the purpose of studying the many facets of the operation for which it is responsible. Productive work sessions are necessary if the Board is to be adequately prepared to make intelligent, objective decisions at its regular monthly meetings.
Informational Meetings
At its discretion the Board of Education may call a special public meeting to provide an opportunity for members of the community to express their views and discuss with the Board members a particular aspect of the schools’ program or operation.
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
1-200 (2) Definitions. “Meeting”
1-206 Denial of access to public records or meetings.
1-225 Meetings of government agencies to be public, as amended by June 11 Special Session, PA 08-3
1-227 Mailing of notice of meetings to persons filing written request.
1-228 Adjournment of meetings. Notice.
1-229 Continued hearings. Notice.
1-230 Regular meetings to be held pursuant to regulation, ordinance or resolution.
10-218 Officers. Meetings
1-206 Denial of access to public records or meetings.
1-225 Meetings of government agencies to be public, as amended by June 11 Special Session, PA 08-3
1-227 Mailing of notice of meetings to persons filing written request.
1-228 Adjournment of meetings. Notice.
1-229 Continued hearings. Notice.
1-230 Regular meetings to be held pursuant to regulation, ordinance or resolution.
10-218 Officers. Meetings
Adopted: January 7, 2020