FILE:  BCBD

Cf:  BCB, BCBB, BCBI

AGENDA PREPARATION AND DISSEMINATION

The Executive Committee shall establish an agenda for all regular School Board meetings by majority vote of the committee.  Upon approval of the regular meeting agenda by the committee the Superintendent shall prepare the notice of meetings required by the Open Meetings Laws (La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §42:19) upon preparation of notice of meeting a copy shall be posted at the entrance to the School Board Meeting room or such other place as the meeting will be held if different from the School Board Room.  Additionally, School Board Members will each be provided with a meeting notice and at the same time such notice is given to the School Board Members, members of the media, who have requested notice, will be provided with the notice of meeting.  The agenda shall not be changed less than twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, prior to the scheduled time of the meeting.

Each item on the agenda shall be listed separately and described with reasonable specificity.  Before the School Board may take any action on the agenda item, the presiding officer shall read aloud the description of the item.

In establishing the agenda, the Executive Committee may consider motions or items of business suggested by School Board Members, administrative staff, employees, school patrons, citizens of the school district, organizations, or associations.  Request by individuals, organizations, or groups to have items placed on the agenda, other than School Board Members, shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Superintendent not later than five (5) working days preceding the Executive Committee meeting.  The request shall include supporting or explanatory materials.  The Superintendent, upon receipt of such a request, shall provide a copy to each member of the Executive Committee.  For good cause shown the Executive Committee by unanimous vote may waive the five-day material submission deadline and include a requested item on the agenda of the next regular School Board Meeting.

Any School Board Member may request in writing or orally at an Executive Committee meeting that an item be placed on the agenda of a regular school board meeting.  In compiling the agenda, the committee shall include the School Board Member's item or motion and the committee may not remove such an item by later vote.

Special meetings of the Rapides Parish School Board may be called by the School Board President upon the written request of five (5) School Board Members, one of whom may be the President.  Such request shall include with reasonable specificity the agenda item(s) to be discussed or acted upon at the special meeting.  The written request shall be deemed sufficient if the request of one School Board Member states the items to be considered and the remaining concurring members state in writing that "I concur in the calling of a Special Meeting for the reasons expressed in the request of School Board Member _________________."  Upon receiving or accumulating the required written request for a Special Meeting, the School Board President shall immediately contact the Superintendent and direct the Superintendent to prepare the required notice of meeting and agenda and shall provide the Superintendent with the meeting request referred to above, which request shall be a public record.  The Superintendent, upon receiving the School Board President's directive to call a Special Meeting, shall immediately notify all School Board Members of the date, time, and place of the Special Meeting and the subjects or motions to be discussed are acted upon.  The notice of any such Special Meeting shall be posted and disseminated in the same manner as required by the Open Meetings Law.

At any regular or special School Board meeting, in accordance with the Open Meetings Law, a matter not on the published agenda may be taken up on the motion of a School Board Member to add the item to the meeting agenda.  The motion shall describe the subject to be acted upon with responsible specificity and shall state the purpose for which the addition to the agenda should be made, which motion and statement shall be entered into the minutes.  A motion to add an item to the agenda shall not pass unless supported by the unanimous roll call vote of all members present at the meeting.  Prior to the vote on the motion to add an item to the agenda, the President shall call for public comment upon the proposition on whether any such motion should be added to the meeting agenda.

In the event of an extra ordinary emergency, defined as a clear and immediate danger of loss of life or preventable destruction of property, the School Board President, with the concurrence of the Superintendent, may call a Special Meeting of the School Board to deal with the emergency.  In accordance with the Open Meetings Law (La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §42:19A(b)(iv)) the Superintendent shall prepare and disseminate immediate notice of the proposed meeting by email or fax to all School Board Members and media and shall post the notice at the meeting location, as required by law.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §42:19

Jackson v. Assumption Parish School Board, App. 1 Cir. 1995, 652 So2d 549, 1994-0901 (La. App. 1 Circ. 3/3/95)

Board minutes, 8-11-78, 1-2-79, 2-12-81, 3-19-02, 12-2-08, 9-4-12, 2-5-13, 12-2-14

Rapides Parish School Board