Regular Board of Education Meetings:

In Lakewood, the Board of Education usually holds two regular Board meetings per month.  These meetings are usually held on the first and third Monday of each month, but the Board can change meeting dates, times and locations.  Regular Board meetings have an agenda prepared in advance and sent to each Board member.  This agenda is also circulated to media and any other interested parties.  The Board usually reviews all items at the first monthly meeting, but takes no action on most items.  At the second monthly meeting, most items are acted upon by the Board. 

Special Board Meetings:
Special Board meetings can be called anytime by the President of the Board, the Treasurer of the School District, or by two members of the Board.  The agenda as presented must be followed unless altered by the Presiding Officer. All special Board meetings are open to the public. Executive sessions may be held to consider such items as personnel, purchase or sale of property, negotiations, conference with attorneys, details of security arrangements and matters required to be kept confidential by federal law.

Emergency Board Meetings:
An emergency Board meeting would be called if emergency action on the part of the Board was required. 

Recess:
The Board my adjourn or recess at any time.  If the adjourned meeting is reconvened, it shall take up its agenda at the point where the motion to adjourn was acted upon.  The same is true if the Board recesses the meeting.  A recess is usually called for a shorter period of time than an adjournment, which can be reconvened at a future date.

Executive Session:
The Board and its committees can meet privately in executive session to discuss one or more of the following issues exempted from public session:

A.  consideration of the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee, official, or student;

B.  investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee, or student unless such employee, official, licensee or student requests a public meeting; except that consideration of the discipline of a Board member for conduct related to the performance of his/her duties or his/her removal from office shall not be held in executive session;

C.  consideration of the purchase of property or sale of property at competitive bidding, if premature disclosure or information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person whose personal, private interest is adverse to the general public interest;

D.  discussion, with the Board's legal counsel, of disputes involving the Board that are the subject of pending or imminent court action;

E.  preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of employment;

F.  matters required to be confidential by Federal law or rules or State statutes; and

G.  specialized details of security arrangements where disclosure might reveal information that could be used for the purpose of committing or avoiding prosecution for a violation of law.

No official action may be taken in executive session.  An executive session can be held only at a regular or special Board meeting.  After the Board meeting is convened, any member of the Board may make a motion for an executive session, and must state the purpose or purposes of the session by citing one or more of the reasons above.  Upon receiving a second to the motion and a majority roll call vote of those present and voting, the Presiding Officer shall declare the Board in executive session.

Communications:
Public comments addressed to the Board are taken after the Discussion of Agenda Items portion of the meeting. No sign-in is necessary. The President will call for statements from the audience. An individual must be recognized and must state name, address and subject for discussion. Comments should be relevant and concise. The Board President will be the judge of time and relevancy of the remarks.

It is not possible to answer all visitors' questions immediately at the meeting. In instances where additional information may be required, the matter will be referred for study. A school official will then get back to the individual as soon as possible.

Notice of Meetings:

The Treasurer of the Board shall notify and provide agendas for regular Board meetings to the media and all interested parties who have requested notification no later than two days in advance of the meeting.  Notice of meetings shall include the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.

Notice of special Board meetings shall be at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting specifying time, place and purpose of each special meeting.

Emergency Board meetings, which require the immediate official action of the Board, shall result in immediate notification of the media and interested parties by the member(s) calling the meeting specifying time, place and purpose of the meeting. 

If you would like to be put on a mailing list to receive notice of all Board meetings, please contact the Treasurer's Office at 216-529-4096.