Paris Independent School District

1. Regular - Held the second or third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. (72-hour notice required) with student/staff recognition at open forum.
2. Special- Held at the President's discretion or on request of two or  more Board members (72-hour notice required)
3. Emergency- Held when the President or two or more members determine an emergency or urgent public necessity exists (2-hour notice required).
4. Any time four or more Board members are gathered for the purpose of discussing school business, it is considered a meeting and must be posted.

1. Placing items on agenda:
   1. Board members must request in advance to Board President or Superintendent any item they wish to have considered for placement on the agenda.
   2. Only Superintendent or Board President may place an item on the agenda. if two Board members request to Board President or Superintendent an item for the agenda, it must be placed on the agenda.
   3. in accordance with Texas Open Meetings Act, no item can be placed on agenda less than 72-hours in advance of the meeting, except in an emergency as per the Texas Open Meetings Act.
2. Use of consent agenda:

For items listed under the consent agenda, the Board has been furnished with background material on each item and/or it has been discussed at a previous meeting. All items on the consent agenda shall be acted on by one vote without being discussed separately unless requested by a Board member, in which case the item shall immediately be withdrawn for individual consideration.

Items that can be included on the consent agenda are:

1. Routine items

2. Annual renewals of Region VIII and TEA items

3. Budget amendments

4. Gifts, donations and bequests

5. Financial information

6. Minutes of Board meetings

7. Updates of Board policy

8. Other items deemed appropriate by Board President and Superintendent

BOARD MEETINGS WILL BE COMPLETED BY 10:00 P.M. WITH ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS MOVED TO A SUBSEQUENT MEETING EXCEPT IN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.

1. Open Forum (Public Participation):
   1. Board will not allow duplicate testimony/presentations.
   2.  Board members will listen to Open Forum (Public Participation) presentations but can take no action or deliberate.
   3. Board President can direct administration to investigate item(s) and report back to Board at a subsequent meeting.
2. Discussion of employee performance (Board/audience)            
   1.  The Board will not entertain complaints against individual personnel in open session.
   2. The Board will not entertain complaints against individual students in open session.
3. Complaints
   1. An attempt should be made to resolve the issue informally.
   2. Complaints should be resolved at the lowest possible administrative level
   3. Three policies provide a specific, clear process to handle complaints:

• DBGA – Employee complaints/grievances
• FNG – Student and parent complaints
• GF – Public complaints

4. These policies rely on the "Principal-Superintendent (or designee)-Board" chain of command and resolution.  A formal procedure is used in which written complaints are filed first with the principal.
5. A presentation before the Board is the final step in the complaint process.
6. Sometimes complaints inadvertently are brought first before the Board during the Open Forum (Public Participation) portion of a  regular Board meeting.

The Board has no obligation to hear such complaints before administrative remedies have been pursued.  The Board president will direct the person to the appropriate complaint process.

7. Complaints are heard in Board meetings as scheduled agenda items.
8. The Board will hear the complaint, then make and communicate a decision orally or in writing at any time up to and including the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.

4. Board will observe parliamentary procedures in Robert's Rules of Order.
5. Discussion of motions:
   1. All discussions shall be directed solely to the business currently under deliberation.
   2. The Board President has the responsibility to maintain discussion to the motion at hand and shall halt discussion that does not apply to the business before the Board.
6. The Board President shall recognize a non-Board member prior to that person entering the discussion.

A.     The Board President will vote on all agenda items for which action is required.

B.      In the event of a tie vote, the motion is defeated.

1. Board members may request reports or information from the Board President or Superintendent.  The Board President or Superintendent may reject the individual Board member’s request for reports or information. If the individual Board member still wishes to request the reports or information, the Board member may request information by Board action.
2. If the requested item or information is in existence but is not found to be of majority interest to the Board, a copy of the requested item will be on file at the District office for review by the interested Board member(s).
3. The Superintendent will gather the information and disseminate it in a timely manner to Board member(s).

1. The Board member should hear the citizen problem for full understanding of persons involved, date and place.
   1. Repeat problem back verbatim to citizen.
   2. Refer citizen to the appropriate person/chain of command and the complaint procedure as outlined in Board policy.

MUST GO THROUGH COMMAND CHAIN

3. Remind the citizen of due process and that the Board member must remain impartial in the event the situation comes before the Board.
4. Inform citizen that Superintendent will be notified of the complaint or action cannot be taken to address the complaint.

2. Board members are encouraged to report complaint to the Superintendent.
3. The Superintendent will ensure that the citizen is contacted in a timely fashion. Board members will be notified if the Superintendent deems appropriate.

1. The Board member should hear the citizen problem for full understanding of persons involved, date and place.
   1. Repeat problem back verbatim to employee.
   2. Remind employee of the complaint procedure (DGBA [LOCAL]) and remain impartial.
   3. Refer employee to appropriate person/chain of command.

MUST GO THROUGH COMMAND CHAIN

2. Board members are encouraged to report complaint to the Superintendent.
3. The employee will be contacted by the Superintendent within a timely fashion.  Board members will be notified if Superintendent deems appropriate.

1. Board members are encouraged to attend school activities.
2. Upon arrival at the campus, Board members must check in at the main office.
3. Board members shall not go unannounced into a building or classroom for the purpose of evaluation.

1. Superintendent (or designee) will communicate with all Board members via telephone, e-mail, or personal visits.
2. Superintendent will meet with Board President on a routine basis to discuss issues of the District.
3. Superintendent (or designee) will communicate information in a timely manner to Board members.
4. Board will keep Superintendent informed via mail, e-mail, telephone, personal visit and/or fax.
5. Board will communicate with the community through regular Board meetings, regular publications, public hearings, and other methods as needed.
6. Individual Board members shall not speak in an official capacity outsidethe Board room without specific authority from the Board.

1. Each Board member should complete and bring appraisal instrument to the Board meeting.
2. Evaluation is conducted by consensus in closed session.
3. Evaluation should be conducted annually in January.

1. Superintendent and Board function as a team of eight (8).
2. The Board will usually conduct their self-evaluation in December.

1. Election of Board officers is held in May or June each year following the regular trustee election which is held on the first Saturday in May.
2. Current Board President shall declare all offices open for nominations. Offices shall be filled in this order:
   1. President
   2. Vice-president
   3. Secretary

      Established by State Law

1. A Board member may not direct employees in regard to performance of duties.
2.  President:
   1. Shall preside at all Board meetings
   2. Appoint committees
   3. Call special meetings
   4. Sign all legal documents required by law or Board policy
3. Vice-president:
   1. Shall act in capacity of President in absence of President
4. Secretary:
   1. Cause accurate record of Board meetings to be kept
   2. Call meeting to order and conduct election for President Pro-tem in absence of President and Vice-president
   3. Sign notices of Board meetings, official minutes, and other documents as required.

1. Board can discuss only those items listed on the agenda as limited by law.
2. Board action/voting must occur in open session.
3. Information discussed during closed session shall remain confidential.

1. The Board President shall be the official spokesperson for the Board to the media/press on issues of media attention.
   1. All Board members who receive calls from the media/press should direct them to the Board's spokesperson and notify the Board President and the Superintendent of the call.

1. The Board encourages input; however, anonymous calls or letters will not receive Board attention, discussion or response and will not result in directives to administration.

1. Standard Board Operating Procedures will be reviewed and updated as needed.