Policy 1330: Rules of Order

The Board and its meetings shall be governed by the following rules of procedure:

Presiding Officer 

The President (or Vice-President in the absence of the President) shall preside at all meetings. In the absence of both the President and Vice-President, the members present shall elect a President pro-tempore who will serve only for that meeting or for that part of the meeting in which the President and VicePresident are absent. 

The Presiding Officer shall introduce and present each agenda item for discussion, or will introduce and then designate the Superintendent or other staff member who will present the agenda item. Following its presentation, an agenda item may be opened for discussion by the Presiding Officer. Except where permission is otherwise granted by the Presiding Officer, discussion of opened agenda items shall be limited to Members of the Board. 

The Presiding Officer shall be responsible for enforcing these rules of procedure and conducting meetings in a manner which preserves order and decorum. Members of the Board and others in attendance shall comply with the direction of the Presiding Officer.

Quorum 

A majority of the members elected to, appointed, and serving on the Board shall constitute a quorum. Members may participate in meetings via remote means such as telephone conference calls, computer web cam, or a teleconference arrangement. Members participating in this manner will be counted as “present” for purposes of establishing a quorum.

Speaking 

When a Board member desires to speak on any matter or issue before the Board, he or she shall first seek recognition to speak from the Presiding Officer. Board members shall address all comments to the Board.

Motions and Resolutions 

The Board will take all formal actions by verbal motion unless a formal resolution is required by law or otherwise desired. Generally, resolutions are reserved for more important or complex questions, or when greater formality is desired. All resolutions shall be reduced to writing prior to adoption by the Board. 

Any member of the Board who wishes to make a motion, second a motion or discuss pending business will first secure recognition of the Presiding Officer. Except where permission is otherwise granted by the Presiding Officer, discussion of a motion before the Board or other pending business shall be limited to Members of the Board. 

A motion must be before the Board in order to discuss an agenda item that has been presented by the Presiding Officer for consideration. No motion shall be adopted by the Board until stated by the Presiding Officer. Any motion may be withdrawn by the sponsor at any time before decision or amendment by the Board. 

The following motions will be in order:

1. To take action.
2. To call the question.
3. To amend or modify a motion made to take action, but such amending motion will be disposed of before any other motion to amend or modify the original motion will be in order. Once approved by the Board, a motion to amend or modify a motion may be combined with the original motion.
4. To lay on the table for subsequent consideration at the same meeting.
5. To postpone action to a specific time, date and place or until occurrence of a condition or event. 
6. To refer or re-refer a matter to a Board committee.
7. To postpone indefinitely. A motion to postpone indefinitely the further consideration of any motion, resolution or other matter shall require the affirmative vote of the Board and the vote upon such a motion shall not be reconsidered. 
8. To reconsider a vote (including a vote resulting in a tie) or other action that has been taken by the Board, but only if no action has been taken in reliance upon such vote or action. Any Board member may move for reconsideration of such vote or action at the same meeting the vote or action was made or at the next regular meeting of the Board, but at no other subsequent meeting. No vote or other action shall be reconsidered more than once. A motion to reconsider shall require the affirmative vote of the Board. When a motion to reconsider fails, it cannot be renewed. This does not preclude the Board from again dealing with an issue, policy, decision or other action based upon significant new information unavailable to the Board when the decision or other action was initially taken.
9. To go into closed session as permitted by and in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
10. To call a recess at the discretion of the Presiding Officer.
11. To adjourn. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and shall be decided without debate. 

With the exceptions of a motion to lay on the table for subsequent consideration, a motion to postpone action to a specific time, date and place or until occurrence of a condition or event, or a motion to adjourn, each of the motions listed above may be subjected to discussion or debate by the Board.

Rules of Procedure 

In no event shall the Board adopt or otherwise use Robert’s Rules of Order or any other standard code of parliamentary procedure.

Amendment/Suspension of Bylaws and Policies 

The Board, by a vote of a majority of its members may amend the bylaws, or suspend the operation of the bylaws temporarily, but such amendment or suspension shall not relieve the Board from complying with applicable law. Policies shall be adopted, amended, or repealed only by a majority vote of the Board.