2:220-E1 - Exhibit - Board Treatment of Closed Meeting Verbatim Records and Minutes

Before any Board meeting:

Superintendent or designee

Arranges to have an audio recording device with extra recording tapes and a back-up audio recording device in the Board meeting room during every Board meeting regardless of whether a closed meeting is scheduled.

The Board may close a portion of a public meeting without prior notice; it cannot, however, have a closed meeting unless it can record the session.

Before a closed meeting:

Board President or presiding officer

On the closed meeting date:  (1) convenes an open meeting, (2) requests a motion to adjourn into closed meeting making sure the reason for the meeting is identified in the motion, (3) takes a roll call vote, (4) asks that the minutes record the vote of each member present and the reason for the closed meeting with a citation to the specific exception contained in the Open Meetings Act authorizing the closed meeting (5 ILCS 120/2a), and (5) adjourns the open meeting.

Before a closed meeting:

Superintendent or Board Secretary 

Immediately before a closed meeting, tests and activates the audio recording device.

During a closed meeting:

Board President or presiding officer

Convenes the closed meeting stating:

Seeing a quorum of the Board of Education gathered today, ___ date, at ___o’clock, at ____ location, for the purpose of holding a closed meeting in order to confidentially discuss ___, I call the meeting to order.  In order to record who is present, I request that each individual state his or her name and position with the District.

Limits discussion to the topics that were included in the motion to go into a closed meeting.

The failure to immediately call a person out-of-order who strays from the purposes included in the motion may result in an appearance of acquiescence.  This responsibility to call a person out-of-order falls on each Board member in the event of the President’s failure.

Once the closed meeting is finished, announces a return to an open meeting or adjournment, and states the time.

After a closed meeting: 

Superintendent or Board Secretary 

Takes possession of the audio recording of the closed meeting and labels it with identification information, specifically the date and items discussed.

Adds the identification information contained on the audio recording’s label to a cumulative list of closed meeting recordings.

As soon as possible, puts the recording of the closed meeting in the previously identified secure location for storing recordings of closed meetings.

Prepares written closed meeting minutes that include:

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The date, time, and place of the closed meeting

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The Board members present and absent

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A summary of discussion on all matters proposed or discussed

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The time the closed meeting was adjourned

After a closed meeting: 

School Board

Approves the previous closed meeting minutes at the next open meeting.

In preparation for the semi-annual review:  

Superintendent or designee

Prepares a recommendation concerning the continued need for confidential treatment of closed meeting minutes; includes this recommendation in the packet for the meeting in which the Board will conduct its semi-annual review.

This step is in preparation of the Board’s meeting to decide whether the need for confidential treatment of specific closed meeting minutes continues to exist.

If the Board wants to discuss closed meeting minutes in closed session, places “review of unreleased closed meeting minutes” on a closed meeting agenda.

Places “result of Board’s review of unreleased closed meeting minutes” as an item on a subsequent open meeting agenda.

In preparation for the semi-annual review:

Individual Board members

Before the meeting in which the Board will conduct its semi-annual review, examines the material supplied by the Superintendent.

Individual Board members should consider:  (1) the Superintendent’s recommendation, (2) the recommendation of the Board Attorney, (3) other Board members’ opinions, (4) the minutes themselves, and/or (5) whether the minutes would be exempted from public disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

During the semi-annual review:

School Board

The Board decides in open session whether:  (1) the need for confidentiality still exists as to all or part of closed meeting minutes, or (2) the minutes or portions thereof no longer require confidential treatment and are available for public inspection.

The Board may have an earlier meeting in closed session to discuss the continued need for confidential treatment.

After the semi-annual review:

Superintendent or designee

Re-labels and re-files closed meeting minutes as appropriate.

Monthly:

Board President

Adds “destruction of closed meeting audio recording” as an agenda item to an upcoming open meeting.

Monthly:

School Board

Approves the destruction of particular closed meeting recording(s) that are at least 18 months old and for which approved minutes of the closed meeting already exist.