Jerome Joint School District No. 261

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 1500

Board Meetings

The Board meeting provides the format for handling the legal responsibilities of the Board and gives patrons a

chance to monitor the Board's labors. Meetings of the Board of Trustees should be direct and to the issues

required for the members to conduct its business.

Board Meeting Defined

A meeting is defined as the convening of the Board of Trustees to make a decision or to deliberate toward a

decision on any matter. Trustees may participate in school board meetings via electronic means (including

telephonic or video conferencing devices) provided at least one (1) member of the Board of Trustees or

Superintendent is physically present at the meeting location.

Guidelines

1. The Board of Trustees will comply with the legal requirements imposed upon meetings of this Board. All

meetings of the Board are open to the public. Unless otherwise specified, the location of all meetings

will be determined at the annual meeting. Regular meetings shall be held on a uniform day of a uniform

week of each month as determined by the Board at its annual meeting held in January. Meeting start

times will also be determined at the Annual meeting and meetings will adjourn as soon as agenda items

are disposed of. Should meetings not end by 11:00 p.m., the Board may recess the meeting to a later

date and time to consider items remaining on the agenda at the time of recess.

2. The Board will hold the following basic types of meetings:

A. Annual Meeting—Consistent with I.C. 33-510, an annual meeting of the Board will be held on the

date of the regular January meeting in each year. The Board will, at that meeting determine the

regular meetings of the Board of Trustees for a uniform day of a uniform week.

B. Regular Meeting – The Board of Trustees shall meet in regular session on the uniform day of the

uniform week referred to above. Notice of dates and locations of meetings will be conspicuously

posted at the School District Office, and on the district’s web page, and when possible as a courtesy

posted at the Jerome Public Library and the Jerome County Courthouse, and on the district’s web

page, and provided annually to members of the press requesting information relative to meetings

of the Board. When a regular meeting falls on a holiday, the meeting shall be within one week, the

date to be determined by the board and published.

C. Emergency Meetings -- In the event of an emergency involving possible personal injury or property

damage, immediate financial loss, or the likelihood of injury, damage or loss, the Board may meet

immediately and take official action without prior notification when the notice requirements would

make such notice impracticable, or increase the likelihood or severity of such injury, damage or loss,

and the reason for the emergency is stated at the outset of the meeting.

D. Special Meetings – Special meetings may be called by the Board Chairman or by any two members

of the Board due to circumstances requiring immediate action for the operation of the District, or

by the Board of Trustees in an open meeting by official action. Such a meeting will be strictly

limited to agenda items requiring action which necessitated the calling of the meeting. Official

action will be taken on agenda items only. Special and Adjourned meetings may be called by the

Chairman or by any two members of the Board and held at any time. If the time and place of

special meetings have not been determined at a meeting of the Board with all members being

present, the notice of the time and place shall be given to each member of the Board and

announced to the public through written notice posted conspicuously at the district office and at

two more public buildings within the school district not fewer than twenty-four (24) hours before

such special meeting is to be convened.

E. Budget Meetings-- No later than twenty-eight (28) days prior to its July meeting, the Board shall

have prepared a budget, in the form prescribed by the state superintendent of public instruction,

and shall hold a public hearing. At such public hearing or at a special meeting held no later than

fourteen (14) days after the public hearing, the Board shall adopt a budget for the ensuring year.

Notice of the budget hearing shall be posted and published as prescribed in I.C. § 33-402. From the

time noticed, a copy of the budget shall be available for public inspection during regular business

hours.

Executive Sessions

An executive session is a meeting closed to all public members, except by invitation of the Board. Such a meeting

may be convened only upon the passage of a proper motion as pursuant in Idaho Code, in an open, regular, or

special meeting.

In order to recess into an executive session to discuss items authorized under Idaho Code, at least 2/3 roll call of

the trustees must approve holding the session. Before the vote is held, the chairman shall state for the record the

reason for the session and specify the provision of law authorizing the Board to hold an executive session and

provide sufficient detail to identify the general purpose and topic of the executive session. However, the

information provided shall not compromise the purpose of going into executive session. Only in the event that

Board vacancies, and not absences, prevent a 2/3majority from being present, a simple majority vote to enter

executive session may be called.

Such an executive session may be held immediately after the motion is passed in the manner described above in an open meeting, or at a specific time and place so specified in the motion. An executive session is only for matters in which the public interest would not best be served by discussion in an open meeting. Such sessions may be called:

1. To consider hiring a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, wherein the respective

qualities of individuals are to be evaluated in order to fill a particular vacancy or need. Please note this

does not apply to filling a vacancy in an elective office or deliberations about staffing needs in general.

2. To consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a

public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent or public school student.

3. To conduct deliberations concerning labor negotiations (Note: The Board may still deliberate regarding

labor negotiations and may caucus regarding negotiations in Executive Session. However, all actual

negotiations between the parties i.e. the exchange of offers, counteroffers, and exchange of documents

must be conducted in open session.);

4. To acquire an interest in real property which is not owned by a public agency.

5. To consider records exempt by law from public inspection.

6. To consider preliminary negotiations involving matters of trade or commerce in which the governing body

is in competition with other public or private governing bodies.

7. To communicate with legal counsel and to discuss any legal ramifications and/or legal options for pending

litigation or possible legal controversies not get being litigated. The presences of legal counsel at

executive session does not satisfy this requirement.

8. To communicate with a representative of the District’s risk management or insurance provider to discuss a

pending claim or prevention of a possible claim to be filed. The presence of a risk management or

insurance provider at executive session does not satisfy this requirement.

No action may be held for the purpose of taking any final action or making any final decisions except for making a determination to place a certified professional employee on probation or taking action on a student disciplinary hearing.

However, the Board has the right to chart a course of action, even to the point of who is to make and second

motions. All action must be taken at a regular or special meeting open to the public. If a motion is passed to move

to an executive session immediately from an open meeting, the Board will return to an open meeting to either

formalize the action or to adjourn the meeting.

If an executive session only will be held, a twenty-four (24) hour meeting and agenda notice shall include the date,

time, place and items to be discussed and include the specific provision of law authorizing the executive session.

The Board will not change the subject within the executive session to one not identified within the motion to enter

executive session or to any topic for which an executive session is not provided.

Minutes of a meeting in which an executive session is called should record the individual vote of each trustee,

indicate that the necessary 2/3 vote was cast in favor of holding the executive session and that the presiding officer

identified the specific authorization for holding of such executive session. Minutes of executive sessions may be

limited to material the disclosure of which is not inconsistent with the provisions of Idaho Code, but shall contain

sufficient detail to convey the general tenor of the meeting.

Legal Reference: I.C. § 33-205 Denial of Student Attendance

I.C. § 33-510 Annual Meetings – Regular Meetings – Board of Trustees

I.C. § 74-202 Open Public Meetings – Definitions

I.C. § 74-203 Governing Bodies—Requirement for Open Public Meetings

I.C. § 74-204 Notice of Meetings

I.C. § 74-205 Written Minutes of Meetings

I.C. § 74-206 Executive Sessions – When Authorized

I.C. § 74-206A Negotiations in Open Session

Idaho Open Meeting Law Manual, current edition

Policy History:

Adopted on: 09/26/2006

Revised on: 10/27/2009

Revised on: 12/18/2013

Revised on: 12/15/2015

Revised on: 05/28/2019

Revised on: 11/26/2019

Revised on: 02/25/2021

Revised on: 12/14/2021