181

RULES OF ORDER

All meetings of the School Board and Board Subcommittees shall be conducted according to this policy. In the absence of any specific legal requirement or any local rule of order or procedure that has been established by the Board, Robert’s Rules of Order (including those procedures and procedural flexibility that Robert’s Rules allows for small boards) shall apply. However, any non-substantive misapplication of or failure to precisely follow Robert's Rules or any other local discretionary procedural rule(s) shall not, standing alone, be construed to render any decision made by the Board void, voidable, or otherwise invalid.

Quorum for Conducting Business

A majority of the School Board members constitutes a quorum for the purpose of conducting business at a School Board meeting, according to section 120.11(1) of the State Statutes. In limited circumstances, a larger number of school board members may be required to vote to take specific action (e.g., amending an approved budget, which requires a two-thirds vote of the membership of the board).

Presiding Officer Duties

The Board President, or if the President is absent, the Vice President or another Board member as determined by the Board at the outset of the meeting, shall preside at all School Board meetings. Every School Board meeting shall initially be convened in open session, although the Board may thereafter convene and hold a closed session to the extent permitted by law and consistent with applicable legal requirements.

The Subcommittee Chair or other Subcommittee member if the Chair is absent, shall preside at all Board Subcommittee meetings. Every Board Subcommittee meeting shall initially be convened in open session, although the Subcommittee members present may thereafter convene and hold a closed session to the extent permitted by law and consistent with applicable legal requirements.

Discussion

1. Any Board member, including the presiding officer, shall be permitted to enter discussion on any subject on the meeting agenda. Limitations include: (a) the presiding officer shall stop the discussion of a matter if the Board or committee previously agreed to confine discussions to a definite period of time and that period of time has passed, and (b) the presiding officer shall stop any discussion that does not apply to the pending motion/subject matter.
2. Board members are not required to obtain the floor prior to speaking or making motions.
3. Board members are not limited in the number of times they may speak to a question.
4. A new motion shall be out of order while another motion is being discussed with the exception of appropriate secondary motions, such as the following: an amendment to the motion under discussion, a motion to adjourn, a motion to postpone the main motion (either indefinitely or to a time certain), a motion to refer the motion being discussed, or a motion to end or limit debate in order to reach a vote on the pending main motion.
5. Informal discussion of a subject is allowed without a motion pending.
6. A Board member who is abstaining from voting due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or due to concerns with possible personal bias is strongly encouraged to physically leave the meeting room during all discussion and consideration of the matter to further document his/her nonparticipation.
7. No member shall be interrupted while speaking, unless he/she is out of order, or for the purpose of correcting mistakes or misinterpretations.
8. If any member acts in any respect in a disorderly manner, it shall be the privilege of any member, and the duty of the presiding officer to call him/her to order.

Voting

1. Voting may be by a yes or no voice vote by the members present at the meeting, except when a roll call vote is required by law or by Board policy, or when requested by the presiding officer or any member of the School Board or Subcommittee.
2. All votes on a motion to convene in closed session or go back into open session shall be by roll call or other method that allows for the ascertaining and recording of the votes of individual Board members. Secret (i.e., unsigned) ballots may be used only for the election of board officers.
3. Members may abstain from voting on a matter but must announce their abstention. The names of members abstaining shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
4. No Board member may cast a vote by proxy or by absentee ballot.
5. A motion is passed/adopted when a majority of the members voting have cast their votes in favor of the motion, except as otherwise required by law or by the Board.
6. The votes of all members will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. When a vote is taken by roll call, the minutes shall clearly reflect the vote of each voting Board member.
7. A motion, once voted upon and whether defeated or adopted, cannot be reconsidered at the same meeting or the next meeting without the approval of a motion to reconsider by a majority of the members of the Board or Subcommittee. Any Board member who voted on the prevailing side of the vote on the original motion may make such a motion to reconsider the original motion based on new information or a changing situation.
8. At subsequent meetings, reconsideration of a motion previously passed by the Board can be initiated by any School Board member provided it is properly noticed through the agenda-setting protocol involving the Board President and Superintendent.

 

 

Cross References:
187 and 187-Rule, Public Input at School Board and Board Subcommittee Meetings
150, School Board Policies and Duties
161, Board Member Authority and Responsibility

Legal References:
Wisconsin State Statutes 19.88, 120.11(1), and 118.22(2)

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Adoption Date: September 14, 1987

Amended Date: May 7, 2018