Special meetings may be called by the chairman or by any two (2) members of the board. The board will not hold a special meeting without at least a twenty-four (24) hour meeting and agenda notice, unless an emergency exists, as defined herein.
DEFINITIONS
“Emergency” means a situation involving injury or damage to persons or property, or immediate financial loss, or the likelihood of such injury, damage, or loss, when the notice requirements of the Open Meeting Law would make such notice impracticable, or increase the likelihood or severity of such injury, damage, or loss, and the reason for the emergency is stated at the outset of the meeting.
“Special meeting” means a convening of the board of trustees of the district pursuant to a special call for the conduct of business as specified in the call.
“Twenty-four (24) hour notice” means when the period is stated in hours:
1. Begin counting immediately on the occurrence of the event that triggers the period;
2. Count every hour, including hours during intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays; and
3. If the period would end on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period continues to run until the same time on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.
For example, if a special meeting is announced on Friday at 5 p.m. then the special meeting may not be held until Monday at 5 p.m.
NOTICE
The notice for a special meeting will include at a minimum the meeting date, time, place and name of the school district calling for the meeting. The notice may also include the name(s) of the trustees calling the special meeting. If the time and place of a special meeting has not been determined at a meeting of the board with all members present, then the notice of the time and place will be given to each member and announced by a written notice in at least two (2) or more public buildings within the school district not less than twenty-four (24) hours before the special meeting is to be convened.
If the time and place of a special meeting was determined at a regular meeting of the board with all members present, the notice requirement for meetings and agendas will be satisfied by posting such notices and agendas in a prominent place at the administrative office of the school district not less than twenty-four (24) hours before the special meeting is to be convened.
If the district at any time maintains an online presence either through a district website or social media platform, the notice for meetings and agendas will also be posted electronically.
The clerk will maintain a list of the news media requesting notification of meetings and will make a good faith effort to provide advanced notification to them of the time and place of each special meeting.
AGENDA
The clerk will post the agenda in the same manner as the notice of the special meeting. An agenda item that requires a vote will be identified on the agenda as an “action item” to provide notice that action may be taken on that item. Identifying an item as an “action item” on the agenda does not require a vote to be taken on that item. The board may amend the agenda, provided that a good faith effort is made to include in the original agenda notice, all items known to be probable items of discussion.
The agenda may be amended in the following manner:
1. If the agenda is amended after it has been posted but there exists twenty-four (24) hours or more prior to the start of the special meeting, the agenda may be amended by posting a new agenda.
2. If an amendment to the agenda is proposed after an agenda has been posted and less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to a special meeting but prior to the start of the meeting, the clerk will post the proposed amended agenda but it will not become effective until a motion is made at the meeting and the board votes to amend the agenda.
3. The board may amend the agenda after the start of the meeting upon a motion that states the reason for the amendment and the good faith reason the agenda item was not included in the original posted agenda. Final action may not be taken on an agenda item added after the start of a meeting unless an emergency is declared necessitating action at that meeting. The declaration and justification will be reflected in the minutes of the meeting.
LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Sections
33-510 – Annual Meetings; Regular Meetings; Boards of Trustees
74-201 et seq. – Open Meeting Law
ADOPTED: August 15, 2018
AMENDED: