Edmonton Public Schools
Board Policies and Regulations

Meetings of the Board

• The Board Chair may expel from a meeting any person who is guilty of improper conduct.

• When a majority of the Trustees present feel it is appropriate to hold a meeting of the Board in private, the Board may, by motion, go into private session (see Private Sessions below). However, the Board, while meeting in private, has no power to pass any bylaw or motion apart from the motion necessary to revert to an open meeting.

• A quorum is a majority of the Trustees that are specified by the Minister, under the School Act, to be elected to the Board.

• Unless there is a quorum within half an hour after the meeting time set for the Board, the meeting will be adjourned until the next meeting, or until another meeting is called. The Corporate Board Secretary will record the names of the members present at the end of the half hour.

• An act or proceeding is only valid if it is adopted at a regular or special meeting at which a quorum of the Board is present.

• In accordance with Board policy, Board motion, the strategic plan, practice and law, the preparation of the draft agenda for a regular meeting is the responsibility of the Superintendent of Schools.

The draft agenda is provided in a timely manner to and approved by the Board Chair.

• O Canada
• Roll Call
• Communications from the Board Chair
• Communications from the Superintendent of Schools
• Minutes
• Recognition
• Comments from the Public and Staff Group Representatives
• Reports
  • Recommendation
    (Board Committee, Representative and Trustee Motions and Superintendent)
  • Information
    (Board Committee, Representative or Trustee and Superintendent)
    
  • Delegation or External Presentation (time specific given)
• Trustees and Board Requests for Information
• Notices of Motion
• Meeting Dates
• Adjournment

• Material for board meetings will be delivered to each Trustee at least three days in advance of the meeting.

• A copy of the agenda for public meetings will be sent to the news media and posted on the District's website at least three days preceding the meeting.

• Agenda materials that are not dealt with at a meeting should be kept by Trustees for the next meeting.

• The Chair will preside at all meetings, call the meetings to order at the hour appointed, and proceed with business.

• In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair will preside.

• In the absence of the Chair and the Vice-Chair, the members present will elect another Trustee to act as Chair of the meeting.

• All questions will be submitted to the Board by a motion of the Chair or any other Trustee. No seconder is required (School Act Section 72). (A motion is a formal proposal by a Trustee, in a meeting, that the Board approve a specific action or undertaking by the Board or Administration.)

• After a motion has been submitted, the Chair or any member may request that it be put in writing or be recorded before it is stated by the Chair. The motion will be voted on unless, with the permission of the Board, it is withdrawn by the mover.

• The motion must be read before the Trustee who introduced the motion may speak on it.

• Unless otherwise provided by the School Act, all motions will be decided by the majority of the votes. In cases of a tie vote, the motion will be defeated. Every Trustee will vote on all motions unless excused by the Board. Trustees are not required to vote on a question in which they declare they have a special or personal interest. If that interest is in the nature of a "pecuniary interest" as defined in Section 80 of the School Act, the Trustees are required under Section 83 of the School Act to disclose their interest and leave the room until the discussion and voting on the matter has been completed.

• The Chair will declare the result of all votes. The names of those who vote for and those who vote against the question will be entered in the minutes. If the vote is unanimous, the names will not be entered in the minutes.

• No member of the Board will have more than one vote.

• The Chair, or other presiding Trustee, may express an opinion on any subject under debate.

• The mover of a motion may speak first to that motion. Thereafter, each Trustee will have an opportunity to ask questions for clarification.

• When the Chair calls for formal debate, Trustees will have two opportunities to speak, for a maximum of three minutes each time.

• Permission to extend the limits of debate may be granted by the Chair if the majority of Trustees concur. The mover of the motion will be given an opportunity to close debate. (May 11, 2010)

• Trustees, before speaking, should address the Chair or other presiding Trustees, and confine themselves to the question under debate.

• When two or more Trustees address the Chair at the same time, the Chair will identify who may speak first.

• While speaking, Trustees will not be interrupted except on a point of order or for the purpose of explanation.

• If any members transgress the rules, the Chair, or any other member, may call them to order. The members called to order will immediately be silent, but will be permitted to explain later. The Board, if appealed to, will decide on the case, without debate.

• As long as it does not interrupt a speaker, Trustees may require the question under discussion to be read at any time during the debate.

• While the Chair is putting the question, Trustees may not speak or move about the room. Trustees may not speak after the question has been put by the Chair.

• to adjourn, or to suspend the 9:00 p.m. adjournment policy
• to lay on the table
• to put the previous question
• to postpone
• to refer
• to amend

• The "previous question" may be moved at any time a motion is before the Chair. The Chair will put the "previous question". Its adoption will end debate, and bring the Board to a vote on amendments, if there are any, and then on the main question.

• The Chair will always consider a motion to adjourn, without debate. A subsequent motion to adjourn may not be made until some business has intervened and been disposed of.

• The Chair will consider, without debate, a motion "to lay on the table", as well as a motion "to go into private session".

• Trustees may not introduce or give notice of a motion to reconsider a motion passed previously by the Board during the same organizational year (September to September), unless a member voted for the original motion (or in the event that the original motion was defeated, a member who originally voted against the motion).

• A member who was not a member of the Board at the time of the passing or defeat of the original motion, may move to reconsider a motion.

• Attendance of all Trustees at Board meetings is an expectation under the School Act in order to fulfill legislated responsibilities. The Board expects all Trustees to make attendance at the Board's meetings a priority. The Board believes that attendance of all Trustees at the Board meeting place is important for the Board's processes by enhancing dialogue and modeling respect for the Board's governance role.

• Should a Trustee be unable to be physically present at a meeting, the Trustee may participate in a specific item(s) at a Board meeting or Committee meeting by using electronic means or other communication facilities in accordance with Section 71 of the School Act up to three times in a calendar year provided that:
  • The Trustee wishing to participate electronically provides the Board Office with a minimum of one working day's notice prior to the meeting at which they wish to participate electronically and a telephone number for a regular land-line telephone from which contact can be made during the meeting (Only telephones on regular lines may be used by Trustees to participate in an electronic meeting.).

  • There is a quorum of other members of the Board who will be present at the meeting place to ensure the meeting can continue and decisions can be made if the communication connection failed; and

  • The Board Secretary and Superintendent of Schools or designate are present at the meeting place; and

  • Costs incurred for long distance telephone service will be charged to the office of the Trustee(s) participating electronically.

• The Board or the Committee concerned will consider requests for exceptions from the above procedure when exceptional circumstances exist.

• Trustees participating electronically shall inform the Chair of their departure from a meeting, temporarily or permanently.

• If a Trustee participating electronically has a conflict of interest on a matter under discussion, the Trustee shall advise the Chair and dis-connect from the meeting. The Chair shall re-connect the Trustee back into the meeting when the item under discussion has been dealt with.

• The Chair shall conduct voting verbally by asking Trustees present to state their name in order of seating (e.g. the Chair's left to right) followed by the Trustee(s) participating electronically first for those in favour and then for those opposed.

• By a vote of the majority, the Board may resolve itself into private session to consider reports of committees, motions, or other matters before the Board.

• The Chair may call any Trustee to preside at the private session.

• A report from the private session may be amended by a majority of the Board before its adoption without going back to the committee of the whole.

• The rules of the Board will be observed in private session, except for rules limiting the number of times of speaking.

• While in private session, a member may move that the Board go back into public session, report progress, and return to sit again. On motion to rise and report, the question will be decided without debate. Any decisions made in private session are treated as recommendations to the Board.

• In order for the Board to make informed decisions on matters brought before it and within its purview, the Board, in regular meetings of the Board or in a committee, may ask for reports from the Administration.

• The Board Chair may ask for reports necessary for the proper conduct of board or committee meetings.

• Trustee requests for reports to appear as agenda discussion items for board or committee meeting should take the form of board motions.

• Trustees, in regular meetings of the Board or in a Committee, may make requests for information from the Administration relative to matters before the Board or which will be brought before the Board.

• Information requested by individual Trustees relative to the operation of schools and to educational matters not before the Board but within the Board's purview, should be prefaced with a rationale or purpose for the requested information to give context and assist in the Administration's understanding of the request.

• Whenever possible, the Administration will attempt to answer trustee questions and or provide readily available information at the meeting at which it was requested.

• If the Administration is unable to provide the information at the meeting at which it was requested, the Administration will advise the Board whether the information can be made available and track the request. If there will be difficulty in providing the information, the Administration will seek clarification and advise what information could be made available within existing resources.

• The Board Secretary shall advise the delegation on the procedures for submitting a brief and/or verbal presentation and assist the delegation in making their request.

• Groups or individuals who wish to appear before the Board to make a presentation to or a request of the Board shall first discuss the request with the Superintendent of Schools or a designate. This provides the presenter an opportunity to clarify his/her understanding of district practices related to the presentation topic and determine what other assistance may be available through the Administration.

• If after meeting with the Administration, an appearance before the Board is still desired, the delegation must make their request in writing to the Board Secretary at least three weeks in advance of the preferred meeting at which they wish to appear. Notwithstanding the three week notice, the Superintendent may consider a request to waive the timelines if circumstances warrant; for example, if the Board will be making a decision on the matter before the delegation is scheduled to present to Board.

• The Board reserves the right to determine whether the delegation will be heard, and if so, whether it will be heard by the Board or by a committee of the Board. For matters clearly within the practice and mandate of the Board, the Board Secretary in consultation with the Superintendent of Schools and Board Chair shall make appropriate arrangements for the delegation to be heard.

• Written briefs or a digest of the information to be presented must be submitted to the Board Secretary at least five days prior to the meeting. The notice and the brief will be provided to each Trustee with the notice of meeting at which the delegation is to appear.

• The delegation may have 10 minutes in total to make its presentation and may appoint two spokespersons. Trustees may ask clarifying questions or comments after which the Chair will thank the speaker.

• Responses to delegations will be provided at the next meeting of the Board unless the Board will be making a decision on the matter as part of another scheduled item of business on the agenda or it is otherwise agreed to by a majority vote of the members present.

• The minutes of board meetings are approved by the Board at the next regular meeting of the Board.

• Board minutes contain all motions, recommendations, Board requests for information and questions approved by the Board that require administrative action.

• The proceedings of all regular board meetings will be recorded.

• The recordings of board meetings will be retained for the previous four years (September to September) plus the current year.

• If a member of the public or a staff group representative wishes to give a position to Board on a specific board agenda item, the individual shall register with the Board Secretary by noon the day of the meeting.

• The Board Chair will, at the time the item is considered, seek concurrence of the Board to hear the individual.

• Speakers shall confine themselves to three minutes and address their comments to the Board Chair.

• The total duration of public comment on a specific agenda item shall not exceed 20 minutes per agenda item. Exceptions to the time limits may be made by a majority vote of the Board.

• The Board Chair will thank the speaker.

• A member of the public or a staff group representative may address the Board on any educational issue.

• A member of the public or a staff group representative may speak for three minutes at a public Board meeting under the agenda category Comments from the Public and Staff Group Representatives. The total duration of the Comments from the Public and Staff Group Representatives section of the agenda shall not exceed 20 minutes. Exceptions to the time limits may be made by a majority vote of the Board.

• Speakers shall address their comments to the Board Chair.

• The Board Chair will thank the speaker.

• Special meetings may be called to deal with urgent matters.

• Special meetings may be called by the Board Chair.

• The Chair will call a special meeting of the Board when any Trustee makes a request to the Chair by giving two days notice in writing, by having the request signed by at least four other members of the Board, and by stating the special business necessitating the calling of such a meeting.

• Special meetings of the Board will be called by giving written notice to each Trustee either:
  • by verified personal or electronic service to each Trustee's residence at least three days prior to the meeting, or

  • by mailing the notice at least six days prior to the meeting, or

  • notice of a meeting may be waived by unanimous consent

• The notice will state the time and place of the meeting and the nature of business to be transacted. Items of business not included in the notice of meeting may be added only if all Trustees are present at the meeting and agree to the addition of the agenda item.

• The rules of order for a special meeting are identical to those for a regular meeting.

• Special meetings are open to the public and the news media.