FILE:  BCB

Cf:  BCBI

BOARD MEETING PROCEDURES

It is the desire of the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board that meetings shall be formal enough for orderly procedure, but informal enough to be natural, to encourage free discussion, and to promote group thinking and action.  In matters of procedures not covered by law, School Board policy, or the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), meetings of the School Board shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised. The President shall be entitled to discuss and vote on all matters before the School Board.

The President of the School Board, or, in his/her absence, the Vice-President, shall conduct all meetings.  In the absence of both, the Superintendent shall preside until the School Board elects an acting chairman.  The presiding officer shall recognize members of the School Board who wish to be heard in the order that he/she deems advisable.  No member of the School Board shall speak without having first been recognized.  Any member, however, who feels that he/she is being unfairly treated may appeal to the School Board to be heard immediately.  Such appeal may be made at any time, without prior recognition by the Chair, and shall be voted on immediately.  Upon a favorable majority vote of the entire School Board, he/she shall be heard prior to the transaction of any other business.

Each School Board member shall be allowed a maximum of ten (10) minutes to express without interruption, his/her initial views on any one subject.  Five (5) minutes are allowed for rebuttal.  The School Board shall suspend the procedures under which it conducts its meetings upon approval of a majority of the School Board's membership.

Public participation shall be permitted in accordance with regulations established by the School Board.  Other persons may be recognized in School Board meetings upon the approval of the School Board.  The President of the School Board shall have complete authority to remove any person(s) who willfully disrupts a meeting to the extent that orderly conduct of the meeting cannot be maintained.

School Board members shall observe a moment of silent prayer or participation in an oral prayer prior to the official opening of committee and School Board meetings.

Revised:  August, 1997

Revised:  February, 2004

Ref:     La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 42:15

Board minutes, 12-17-03

West Baton Rouge Parish School Board