POLICY 1-6.5 BOARD MINUTES AND RECORDING VOTES

Board Minutes

The official minutes of the Montgomery County School Board shall be recorded by the clerk, approved by the School Board in regular session, signed by the clerk and Chair of the Board, stored in a safe place and shall be made available for general public examination during the hours when the School Board office is regularly open to the public. The division superintendent is authorized to make a charge for the copying and search time expended by School Board employees in supplying requested records, consistent with applicable law.

Content

The minutes shall include, but not be limited to, (i) the date, time and location of the meeting, (ii) the members of the School Board recorded as present and absent, and (iii) a summary of the discussion on matters proposed, deliberated or decided, and a record of any votes taken.

Procedures for Approval

Following proper editing, the unofficial minutes shall be sent to School Board members prior to the next regular School Board meeting. Minutes of the previous School Board meeting shall not be read to the School Board except for the purposes of corrections or omissions. An early procedural matter on the agenda shall be the adoption of the minutes of the previous meeting.

With prior approval of the School Board, the clerk may have School Board minutes microfilmed and the originals transferred to the Virginia State Library as provided by applicable law. Disposal of these records shall be recorded in the official minutes of the School Board.

Recording Votes

The clerk, as passed or defeated, shall record all matters voted on by the School Board in the minutes. Voting shall be by voice, yes or no, unless there is a negative or abstaining vote, in which case the Chair may call for a poll of the School Board. A poll of the School Board shall be made at the request of any School Board member. The official vote on all decisions that are unanimous shall be recorded in the official minutes. Except as otherwise required by law or School Board policy all matters shall be passed when they have received the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present.

LEGAL REFERENCE: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 2.2-3707, 22.1-74, 42.1-86.01.

Adopted: April 2004

Revised: August 2004