MEETING CONDUCT

1. Meeting Conduct

A. Meetings of the Board of Education shall be conducted by the President in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and the adopted bylaws of the Board.

B. All Board meetings shall commence at, or as close as practicable to, the stated time, provided there is a quorum.

C. All regular and special Board meetings shall be guided by an agenda which will have been prepared by the Board President, and delivered in advance to all Board members and other designated persons.

D. Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of the Board except as otherwise provided by these bylaws.

2. Smoking

A. Smoking will not be permitted in any room in which a meeting of the Board of Education is being conducted, nor during the time immediately prior to the meeting.

B. A sign notifying the public that no smoking is allowed in the place designated for the meeting will be prominently posted.

3. Public Address

A. The Board may permit any individual or group to address the Board concerning any subject that lies within its jurisdiction during a portion of the Board's regular meetings so designated for such purpose.

(1) Three minutes may be allotted to each speaker. The President may modify these limitations at the beginning of a meeting if the number of persons wishing to speak makes it advisable to do so.

(2) A Board of Education member shall be appointed by the President prior to the meeting to act as timekeeper for the meeting, if deemed necessary by the President.

(3) The Board will not permit in public session any expression of personal complaints about school personnel nor against any person connected with the school system, including students. Persons with personal complaints regarding personnel should address such complaints with the Superintendent of Schools as a means of bringing concerns for consideration and disposition. Any such charges, if presented to the Board directly, shall be referred to the Superintendent for investigation and report.

(4) As a matter of standard procedure, public comment will be confined to that portion of the agenda reserved for petitions and comments, and is subject to Board approval. In the advance of any meeting, any member of the public may request of the Board President or the Board President may extend an invitation to any member of the public for an opportunity to address the Board on one or more specific agenda items when those items are reached. The decision to honor such a request or to extend such an invitation shall be within the sole discretion of the Board President in due consideration of the Board’s goals and statement of policies especially as enumerated in Board policy Section J: School-Community Relations.

(5) All speakers must identify themselves by name and address.

(6) No boisterous conduct shall be permitted at any Board of Education meeting. Persistence in boisterous conduct shall be grounds for summary termination, by the President, of that person's privilege of address.

B. Broadcasting and Taping of Meetings

Radio and television stations desiring to report proceedings of public meetings of the Board from the floor of the assembly room are requested to seek clearance from the Superintendent at least twenty-four hours before the meeting is held.

While the Board is mindful of the importance of full media coverage, it must be able to conduct its business with a minimum of distraction.

Legal References:

Connecticut General Statutes
     1-200 Definitions
     1-206 Denial of access of public records or meeting. Notice. Appeal.
     1-225 Meetings of government agencies to be public.
     1-232 Conduct of meetings. (re: disturbances)

Freedom of Information Commission Advisory Opinion #41 (April 9, 1980)

Date Approved: April 28, 1981
Date Amended: February 2, 1993
Date Amended: March 17, 1998