Appendix C

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Appendix C

School Board Standing Committee Procedures

1. Meetings Dates, Times, Locations and Notices
   1. Meeting Dates, Times and Locations – Meetings of School Board Committees with three or more School Board Members should be compliant with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as amended. When practicable for the Committee, an annual schedule of Committee Meetings should be set and published. When required by FOIA, members of the public should be able to observe the meeting and meeting locations must be open to the public with appropriate ADA access (unless the conditions for electronic or emergency meetings as set forth in Bylaw 1-36 or law exist).
   2. Quorum – A quorum of the School Board Committee Members must be present in person at the meeting location for the meeting to proceed. Persons appointed to the Committee and who can vote on matters are to be counted to determine the quorum. Some Committees have non-School Board appointees who should be counted. Assigned staff and ex officio members do not have voting rights and do not count toward the quorum. School Board Members may participate remotely if Bylaw 1-36 procedures are followed and if a quorum of the Committee Members are present at the meeting location. During authorized electronic meetings, Committee Members do not need to be present in one location, but a quorum is still required to proceed with the meeting. School Board Members not appointed to a Committee who participate in meetings should not be counted toward the quorum unless they are substituting for an appointed Committee Member.
   3. Public Notice of Meeting – School Board Committees with three or more School Board Members must comply with FOIA public notice requirements. Public notice of such Committee Meetings must be published publicly on the bulletin board at the School Administration Building and put on the School Division webpage where they are normally posted , or as otherwise required by FOIA. Staff should maintain evidence of the postings for one year after the meeting.
   4. Posting to Committee Webpage
      1. Staff should ensure that the School Board Committee webpage accurately and timely reflects the Meeting dates and time, public access instructions. The Department of Communications and Community Engagement requires seven days' notice to post onto the Committee webpage. Please note that ADA requirements apply to postings and staff should consult with Communications and Community Engagement Staff regarding such requirements.
      2. School Board Committee meetings are not usually broadcast or done electronically unless circumstances exist to do so. Posting a recording of a School Board Committee Meeting requires that either a transcript be included when the posting is published, or that closed caption be done at the time of the recording. VBTV can do closed captioning if meetings are done in School Board Chambers and broadcast on VBTV. Before posting a recording a Committee meeting, these conditions must be met.
   5. Electronic Meetings or Remote Participation – Electronic meetings and remote participation by Committee Members must be done in compliance with Bylaw 1-36. Different rules may apply during States of Emergency and staff and the Committee Chair should consult legal counsel. All Committee Members should be consulted before changing the date, time or location of a meeting so that Committee Members are not required to use limited remote participation opportunities to participate in a meeting that was changed.
   6. Public Access to Meetings – Meetings of three or more School Board Members are required to be open to the public. At least one door to the Committee Meeting room must remain open during the Meeting unless the Committee recesses into closed session. Staff should ensure that ADA accessibility conditions are met as well as any applicable health or safety requirements. Meetings conducted electronically must be open to the public to observe.
   7. Closed Session and Confidential Material
      1. Closed Session – Committees may recess into closed session in accordance with FOIA exemptions from open meetings. Staff and the Chair should ensure that the Agenda sets forth the call for Closed Session and that appropriate Certification of Closed Session is completed. Staff should ensure that the Meeting room door is open during the Call and Vote into and out of Closed Session. Electronic or remote participation should not be used in Closed Session. Meeting Minutes should reflect the Call and vote for Closed Session, the persons participating in the Closed Session and the call and vote for Certification of Closed Session but not the discussions in Closed Session. All votes must be taken in open session.
      2. Confidential Material – Material or discussions in Closed Session should remain confidential and should not be shared with unauthorized persons.
2. Meeting Agendas and Minutes
   1. Drafting Agenda – The Committee Chair and the staff member should prepare the Meeting Agenda for review by the Chair before the next scheduled Meeting date.
   2. Meeting Minutes – The staff member or assigned administrative staff will draft the Meeting Minutes. Meeting Minutes are not intended to be a transcript of the Committee Meeting. Meeting Minutes reflect compliance or variance with the Agenda, formal actions and votes taken by the Committee Members, and general discussion on the Agenda topics. Minutes should be sent to Committee Members three or more business days before the next Meeting. Committee Members should review Meeting Minutes and send corrections to the Chair prior to the Meeting. Meeting Minutes may be amended at the Meeting.
   3. Sending Out Agenda and Supporting Documents – Meeting Agendas should be sent to Committee Members three or more business days before the Meeting when reasonably possible. The Agenda should be made available to the public when made available to the Committee Members. At the direction of the Committee Chair, the Agenda should be posted to the Committee webpage. If not posted to the webpage, the Agenda should be made available to the public on request.
3. Annual Election of Chair
   1. Annual Election of Committee Chair – at the first meeting in the new fiscal year, when the Chair is removed from the committee, or after a new committee is created, a Committee Chair should be elected by the voting Committee Members. If the Committee Chair who was elected the prior year is still serving on the Committee, the Chair will conduct all meetings until a new Chair is elected. If the former Chair is not on the Committee in the new year, the senior most School Board Member on the Committee or the School Board Chair in an ex officio capacity will conduct the meetings until a new Chair is elected.
   2. Replacing Committee Members and/or Chair – If a School Board Member assigned to a Committee is no longer serving as a School Board Member, resigns from the Committee, or is otherwise not serving on the Committee, the Chair or staff member should inform the School Board Chair to begin procedures to appoint another Committee Member. If the Committee Chair is no longer on the Committee, a new election should be held.
   3. Duties of Chair – The Committee Chair is responsible for conducting the Committee Meetings, working with staff to determine Meeting dates and times, agendas and agenda materials. The Chair and staff liaison will maintain attendance rolls throughout the year for all Committee Members and will transmit such list to the School Board Chair each year for the purpose of planning for Committee assignments for the new year by May 1.
4. Other Matters
   1. Reports to School Board – the Committee Chair may inform the School Board and the public of the work of the School Board during Committee, Organization and Board Items section of the School Board Meetings. If required by the School Board, the Committee Chair will formally report to the School Board the work or findings of the Committee.
   2. Termination of Ad Hoc Committees – Chairs and staff should monitor the termination of the Committees authorization and ensure all Committee work is completed by the termination date. Any request to extend the term of the Committee should be placed on the School Board Agenda at least two regular School Board Meetings before the Committee termination date.
   3. School Board Committees are not required to follow the agenda format or parliamentary procedures for regular School Board meetings but must comply with all applicable law such as the Freedom of Information Act.

Adopted by the School Board: June 22, 2021
Amended by School Board: September 28, 2021