POLICY:
BD
CATEGORY: BOARD MEETINGS
POLICY STATEMENT:
The Board
believes that open Board meetings promote accountability and enhance
communication.
GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Board
meeting procedures not addressed by the School Act or in policy shall be
conducted in accordance with Roberts' Rules of Order.
a. Regular
meetings (Section 50)
b. Organizational
meetings (Section 48)
c. Special
meetings (Section 51)
d. Committee
of the whole meetings (Roberts)
e. In
camera meetings (Policy BDC)
2. a. All regular meetings of the Board shall
be held as determined at the
annual Board organizational meeting.
b. The
Board shall determine the locations of all regular meetings.
c. The
Board may schedule extra meetings or change meeting dates subject to the
conditions specified in the School Act.
3. Decision
by majority vote (Section 56)
All acts
whatsoever authorized or required by the School Act to be done by the
Board, and all other questions including questions of adjournment that may come
before the Board shall, save where otherwise so expressed, be done and decided
by the majority of the members of the Board who shall be present at the
meeting.
4. Chair
to preside (Section 49)
The chair, if present, shall preside at all meetings
of the Board. In all cases where the
votes of the members of the Board, including the vote of the chair or other
person presiding, are equal for and against a question, the question shall be
defeated and it shall be the duty of the member presiding to so declare.
5. All
members to vote (Section 56, 2)
All members present at a Board meeting shall vote on
every question put to the Board by the Chair or presiding member.
6. Requests
for recorded vote (Section 56, 3 and 4)
All requests for a recorded vote shall be made prior
to the chair's call for the vote on the resolution. In the event that any member requests a
recorded vote, the vote of all members present shall be recorded in the minutes.
Notwithstanding the above, immediately after a vote is
taken, and on the request of a trustee, the name of that trustee and whether
that trustee voted for or against the matter shall be recorded in the minutes.
7. Separation
of question (Roberts)
When the question under consideration contains
distinct propositions, the vote of each proposition shall be taken separately,
should any member so request.
8. Addressing
the chair (Roberts)
Every member desirous of speaking to any question or
motion shall address the chair.
9. Manner
and order of speaking (Roberts)
The chair shall, at all times, conduct the manner and
order of speaking so that all sides of a question may be as fully presented as
the circumstances warrant and shall ensure that each member is allowed an equal
opportunity to speak.
10. Agenda
preparation
Refer to Board Policy BDDC --
Agenda Preparation and Dissemination.
11. Advance
delivery of material
Refer to Board Policy BDDC --
Agenda Preparation and Dissemination.
12. Order
of agenda
Refer to Board Policy BDDC -- Agenda Preparation and Dissemination.
13. Opening
proceedings
a. Call
to order
As soon after the hour of a meeting as there is a
quorum present, the chair shall take the chair and call the members to order.
b. Chair
absent
In the case the chair does not attend within fifteen
minutes after the time appointed for a meeting and a quorum is present, the
vice-chair shall call the meeting to order and shall preside during the meeting
or until the arrival of the chair.
c. Quorum (Section 55)
If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes after the
time fixed for a meeting, the superintendent shall record the names of those
members present and the Board shall stand adjourned until the next regular
meeting.
When any order, resolution or question is not put to
the Board by reason of the Board breaking up for want of a quorum, the order,
resolution or question not so put shall be dealt with at the next meeting of
the Board.
d. Chair
vacates chair
If the chair desires to leave the chair for the
purpose of taking part in the debate, or otherwise, shall call upon the
vice-chair to take the chair's place until he or she resumes the chair.
14. Any one
or more of the rules and order contained in this policy may be temporarily
suspended by decision of the majority of the members of the Board present.
Date of Adoption: January
9, 1995
Date of Amendment: October 5, 2004
Review Date: October
2007
Legal Reference: Sections
3, 44, 49 - 56, School Act
Cross-Reference: Policy BDDC -
Agenda Preparation and Dissemination
Policy BDDH - Public Participation (Delegations)