FILE:  BC

Cf:  AB, ABC

Cf:  BCBG, BCBI

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Official actions or decisions of the Lafayette Parish School Board shall be made only in official meetings of the School Board.  No member of the School Board, nor any committee of the School Board, shall have the power to act in the name of the School Board outside of official School Board meetings unless so designated by a majority of the School Board duly convened.

A quorum for the transaction of official business shall consist of a majority (5) of the members of the School Board.  When a quorum of the School Board has convened and neither the President nor the Vice-President is present, the members shall elect one of their number to serve as President for that meeting.

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS

The Lafayette Parish School Board shall hold its regular meetings at least once each month on such day as the School Board shall select.  Additional regular meetings may be held as the School Board may designate.  Special meetings may be held as the School Board determines or as the occasion may require.

Special meetings may be called by the President and shall be called by the President at the written request of the Superintendent, the Vice-President of the School Board, or a majority of the School Board membership at the time and place designated.  Such written requests shall state the detailed purpose for the special meeting.  Notice of the time and purpose for a special meeting shall be given each School Board member not less than two (2) days in advance of such a meeting.

MEETINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Every meeting of the School Board shall be open to the public unless closed pursuant to Louisiana state law.  However, the Open Meetings law shall not prohibit the removal of any person or persons who willfully disrupt a meeting to the extent that orderly conduct of the meeting is seriously compromised.  These rules, including the open meeting and notice rules, also apply to groups or committees established by the School Board.

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

The School Board may hold executive sessions upon an affirmative vote, taken at an open meeting for which notice has been given in accordance with policy BCBB, Notification of School Board Meetings, of two-thirds (⅔) of the members present.

Such executive sessions shall be limited only to matters allowed to be exempted from discussion at open meetings.  No final or binding action shall be taken during an executive session.

Executive sessions shall be attended only by members of the School Board, the Superintendent, the School Board’s General Counsel, and any other persons designated by the School Board.  All matters discussed in any executive session shall be regarded as confidential by all persons in attendance and shall not be divulged to the public.

The School Board may hold an executive session for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Discussion of the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of a person, provided that such person is notified in writing at least twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays before the scheduled time contained in the notice of the meeting at which such executive session is to take place, and that such person may require that such discussion be held in an open session.  However, an executive session shall not be used to discuss the appointment of a person to the School Board or for discussing the award of a public contract, except as provided under the Public Bid Law.  In cases of extraordinary emergency, written notice to such person shall not be required; however, the School Board shall give notice as it deems appropriate and the circumstances permit.
   
   

2. Strategy sessions or negotiations with respect to collective bargaining, prospective litigation after formal written demand or litigation where an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the School Board.
   
   

3. Discussion regarding the report, development, or course of action regarding security personnel, plans, or devices, including discussions concerning cybersecurity plans, financial security procedures, and assessment and implementation of any such plans or procedures.
   
   

4. Investigative proceedings regarding allegations of misconduct.
   
   

5. Cases of extraordinary emergency, which shall be limited to natural disaster, threat of epidemic, civil disturbances, suppression of insurrections, or the repelling of invasions, or other matters of similar magnitude.
   
   

6. Discussions between the School Board and individual students or the parents or tutors of such students, or both, who are within the jurisdiction of the Lafayette Parish School Board, regarding problems of such students, their parents, or tutors, provided, however, that any such parent, tutor, or student may require that such discussions be held in an open meeting.
   
   

7. Any other matter provided for, or as may be provided for, by the legislature.

AGENDA PREPARATION AND DISSEMINATION

The Lafayette Parish School Board shall direct the Superintendent to prepare or cause to be prepared an agenda for all regular and special meetings of the School Board.  There shall be no additions or changes to the agenda less than twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, prior to the scheduled meeting.  Each item shall be listed separately and described with reasonable specificity.  An item of business not on the agenda may be taken up by the School Board only upon unanimous approval of the members present at a meeting.

Every effort will be made to post agendas, and attachments thereto, on the Friday prior to any regular School Board meeting, but in no event shall agendas be posted less than twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, prior to the scheduled meeting.

PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING AN ITEM BE INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA

At least five (5) business days prior to the meeting date, a request to add an item to the agenda, along with all supporting or related material (documents, videos, etc.) shall be submitted to the Superintendent.  The School Board President and the Superintendent, working together, shall determine whether such requests should be placed on the agenda.

If the item requested to be added to the agenda is one that can be handled by the Superintendent and school system staff, the item should not be added to the agenda in order to conserve School Board time.

If the submission of the request is not timely and it is determined that it is an item that should be placed on the agenda, it may be held over for a future scheduled meeting.

School Board members, administrative staff, employees and members of the public may submit a request to add an item to the agenda.  No School Board member shall be denied the right to have an item placed on the agenda.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:16, 17:17, 17:81, 42:12, 42:13, 42:14, 42:15, 42:16, 42:17, 42:18, 42:19, 42:20, 42:24, 42:25, 42:26, 42:27, 42:28

Board minutes, 2-5-75, 8-6-86, 10-7-87, 12-19-90, 3-6-91, 2-7-07, 7-1-15, 1-4-17, 2-7-18, 3-7-18, 8-8-18, 9-13-23

Lafayette Parish School Board