2150 - General Rules for Board Meetings

• All School Board Meetings are open to the public and the press and shall be governed by RSA 91-A. The Board will announce at least 24 hours in advance (excluding Sundays and legal Holidays) through two public postings, the date, time, and place of all regular and special meetings and the major topics to be discussed. The Superintendent is authorized to post notice of the meeting on the District website.

• The Board may need to hold an emergency meeting in the case where immediate un-delayed action is deemed to be imperative by the Chair or presiding Officer of the body or agency, who shall employ whatever reasonable means are available to inform the public a meeting is to be held. The minutes of the meetings shall clearly spell out the need for the emergency meeting.

• Unless otherwise altered by Board action, regular meetings of the Board shall generally be held on the first Monday of each month, with exceptions for summers and holidays, and on the third Monday of each month as determined by Administration in consultation with the Board Chairman.

• The Board Chair shall preside over all meetings of the Board. In the Chair’s absence the Vice Chair will preside, followed by the most senior member then present.

• A quorum of the Board shall be defined as a majority of Board members being present at any properly called Board meeting.

• A quorum of the Board shall be required for the transaction of business.

• To ensure an orderly, efficient, fair process, encouraging full participation and open discussion of business before the Board, the following decorum is expected of all members and participants:
  • Board Members, District Staff, or members of the public wishing to speak, must be recognized by the Board Chair;
  • Board Members shall address only the agenda item being acted upon when they speak;
  • Board Members shall maintain a professional decorum at all times;
  • Questions shall be addressed only to the chair unless the chair has recognized another individual to answer questions following a presentation to the Board;
  • Board Members shall engage in discussion with other members and members of the public in a positive manner which maintains dignity and respect of all participants. 

• All actions shall be preceded by a motion and a second to the motion, followed by discussion.

• If a motion does not receive a second, then the motion is treated as if it were not considered by the Board.

• Motions should address only one issue or idea. If a motion is complex, or has conditions, the motion should be written out and read back by the Board’s minute taker.

• Each board member has the right to participate in discussion and debate if he/she wishes, before any other member may speak a second time.

• The presiding officer may decide, on his/her own initiative, or upon request by a board member, to recognize a non-board member, to address the Board with respect to the matter then under discussion.

• Passage of any motion shall require a positive vote from a majority of board members (minimum of 3 members), not simply a majority of those present and voting.

• Board members shall abstain from debating, discussing, or voting upon matters in which they have a personal financial interest, other than the effect of a matter on their property taxes.

• Board members present for a vote, but abstaining from the vote shall state the reason(s) for such abstention(s).

• To the extent practicable, no significant new business item shall be acted upon the first meeting it is discussed.

• A motion to Reconsider a vote shall only be in order at the meeting in which the vote in question occurred. At subsequent meetings, the proper motions would be either to Rescind the previous Board action or to renew the original motion.

• The presiding officer may rule any member or other person out of order if such person disrupts the orderly conduct of a meeting, behaves in a disorderly manner, makes unlawful threats, willfully violates any of the above rules of order/procedure, or engages in any unprotected speech. If the board member or other person continues such behavior after being ordered by the presiding officer to cease, the presiding officer is authorized to request that a police officer, warn and then remove such person from the meeting and meeting location.