The Board of Directors shall meet and organize at the first regular meeting after a regular school election. The oath of office will be administered to newly elected members at this time. Notice of the place, date and hour of the organizational meeting shall be given by the secretary to each member and member-elect of the board. Specific items to be included in the agenda for the organizational meeting are:
Retiring Board
1. Conduct any unfinished business.
2. Acknowledge tally of election results from Commission of Elections.
New Board
1. Appointment of temporary chair.
2. Administration of the oath of office to newly elected members
(if necessary).
3. Nomination and election of Board president and vice-president.
4. Administration of the oath of office to the new president
and vice-president.
5. Approve regular meeting days, hour and place.
6. Consider appointments to commissions, committees, and boards.
Legal Reference: Code of Iowa Sections 279.1, 275.25, 277.28
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: November 11, 1975
June 10, 1980
January 12, 1988
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
The dates and hour of the regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be established at the organizational meeting in September.
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: December 10, 1974
June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
Special meetings may be held as determined by the Board of Directors, called by the president, or by the secretary upon written request of a majority of the members of the Board. Notice of special meetings shall be given as provided by law.
Legal Reference: Code of Iowa Chapter 279.2
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted in open session with all members of the public having access unless exceptions or exemptions are provided specifically by law.
Date of Adoption: April, 1988
Revised: January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
The Board of Directors may hold an executive or closed session only by an affirmative vote of either two-thirds of the directors or all of the directors present at the meeting. A closed session may be held only to the extent a closed session is necessary for any of the reasons provided by law and no other business may be discussed. Any final action must be taken in open session, unless some other provision of the Code specifically permits action in closed session.
Detailed minutes must be kept at the closed session, including "discussion, persons present and action occurring." A tape recording also must be made. The detailed minutes and tape recording must be sealed and shall not be public records open to public inspection. However, upon court order, the detailed minutes and tape recording shall be unsealed, examined by the court in camera, and, in some cases, released to a third party pursuant to law. Minutes and recording of a session involving real estate purchase are open to the public when the transaction is completed.
The detailed minutes and tape recording of any closed session shall
be kept by the Board Secretary for a period of one year from the date of
the closed meeting. During that period, a Board member may have access
to the detailed minutes and tape recording if all of the following circumstances
apply.
1. A valid reason related to on-going Board business must exist;
2. Provisions must be made to keep the detailed minutes and tape
recording confidential; and
3. The Board must pass a motion authorizing the review of the
tapes and detailed minutes and setting restrictions that would be appropriate
under the circumstances.
The Board may provide access to the detailed minutes and tape recording by the Superintendent or another Board officer or employee if all of the above requirements are met and the Board obtains an opinion of legal counsel that such access would not violate the Iowa Open Meetings Law.
Legal Reference: Code of Iowa Chapter 21
Date of Adoption: December 21, 1967
Revised: November 11, 1975
June 10, 1980
January 12, 1988
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
At the regular or special meeting held in July or August prior to or
on August 15, the Board of Directors shall:
1. examine, reconcile, and if in order, approve the Secretary
and Treasurer’s reports.
2. approve depository banks for school district funds.
3. appoint a secretary and treasurer and administer the oath
of office.
4. appoint an attorney whose term shall be for one year to represent
the corporation and advise the Board.
Legal Reference: Code of Iowa Depositories, Chapter 453.1-453.6 Annual Settlements, Chapter 279.33 Appointments, Chapter 279.3 Oath of Office, Chapter 277.28
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: October 28, 1975
November 11, 1975
June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
Written notice for all meetings of the Board of Directors shall be submitted as required by law. Said notice shall specify hour, place, and purpose of the meeting. Attendance at a meeting shall constitute waiver of notice.
The Secretary of the Board of Directors shall be responsible for giving advance public notice of the time and place of each meeting by notifying those communications media as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
In the event that an emergency occurs requiring an immediate meeting, as much notice shall be given as is reasonably possible. The reason for such meeting shall be stated in the minutes.
Legal Reference: Code of Iowa Chapter 279.2 S.F. 536, 62nd General Assembly
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
The majority of the Board of Directors shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. A majority vote of those present shall be necessary to take action unless the vote of a greater number with respect to the particular subject matter shall be required by law or other Board policy. Each member has the ethical responsibility to vote on each issue.
Legal Reference: Code of Iowa Chapter 279.4
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
Parliamentary procedure not provided for in these policies or by statute shall be determined by Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
The Superintendent shall submit to the Board of Directors for its consideration, at least twenty-four hours before a regular meeting, an agenda which shall set forth the order of business for that meeting. Whenever possible, the Board shall be provided an administrative recommendation, with supportive data such as charts, graphs, statistics, previous experience records and/or precedents, which bears on agenda items.
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
Minutes of proceedings of Board meetings shall be prepared by the secretary. The minutes of previous meetings shall be approved by the Board and signed by the president and secretary.
The official minutes shall be kept permanently in the office of the secretary and shall be available for inspection by residents of the district during regular office hours.
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
Members of the Board of Directors shall serve without pay. They shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as approved by the Board.
Legal Reference: Code of Iowa Chapter 279.29, 279.32
Date of Adoption: June 10, 1980
Revised: January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
It shall be the policy of the Board of Directors to maintain active membership in the Iowa Association of School Boards, the National School Boards Association, and other associations as directed by the Board.
Date of Adoption: December 12, 1967
Revised: June 10, 1980
January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995
Past school board members may participate in the high school graduation ceremony by awarding the diplomas to their children. If a past school board member is deceased, his/her spouse may participate to the same extent.
Date of Adoption: June 24, 1986
Revised: January 28, 1992
April 11, 1995