By-laws of M.S.A.D. #31

BC Maine School Administrative District No. 31

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I

RULES OF ORDER: Except as otherwise provided by Maine State law or by regulations of the Department of Education, or as otherwise provided in School Committee policy, Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised (latest edition available) shall be the reference to resolve procedural uncertainties. A summarized copy shall be provided to each board member at the beginning of each board member's term by the Superintendent’s office.

ARTICLE II

REGULAR MEETINGS: Regular meetings of the Directors of School Administrative District No. 31 shall be held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. unless voted otherwise, at the Jim Currie Library in Howland, or other predetermined location. By a majority vote of those present and voting, a second monthly meeting may be held for unfinished board business.

No New Business items are to be introduced after 10:00 PM without a 2/3 vote to do so. Suggested time limit for all regular meetings is three hours. Unfinished business will be conducted in a second meeting and the agenda shall continue as recorded.

An agenda, listing all known items of business, shall be provided for each Director with notification of meeting.

In case of cancellation of any regular meeting because of weather or other emergency reasons, the next available date will be chosen and relayed within 48 hours to all directors by the Superintendent’s office.

ARTICLE III

SPECIAL MEETINGS: Special meetings of the Directors of School Administrative District No. 31 may be called by the Chairperson of the Board, by the Secretary (Superintendent), or on written request of five or more Directors provided in advance to both Chair and Superintendents office. 24 hours following that notice the next provision will take place unless the matter can be done within the next regular board meeting or under an agenda adjustment.

All Directors are to be given forty-eight hours notice and agenda of such a special meeting by the Superintendent or Chair, by phone or in person. Any additional items to the agenda would require unanimous consent of all Board Members present.

The law does provide for emergency situations (natural disaster, safety of students, etc.) only as deemed by the Superintendent with consult of the Board Chair, to waive the 48 hrs notice. If as such, the notice must be as practical to 24 hours advance as possible. The meeting shall only discuss that item.

ARTICLE IV

VOTING: A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Directors in number and in voting power of 498. If there are municipal vacancies, the number must be recalculated before voting.

Items of policy are passed and placed into effect only when a minimum of two-thirds of the votes present and voting are registered in the affirmative. For business a majority of members present and voting will suffice.

ARTICLE V

ATTENDANCE: The Chairperson shall take the roll of the Directors at each meeting before any business. This roll call shall be made a part of the permanent records and shall be the basis for paying Directors the fees & mileage in effect at that time. Except in municipalities having a municipal charter, when a director is absent without excuse from two consecutive regular board meetings, the board may declare that a vacancy exists after one mailed notification and request to be present at the 3rd. regular board meeting. If that director shows up and states his cause the board shall deliberate at the closure of said meeting. An interim director appointed for that municipality shall serve until the next annual municipal election.

ARTICLE VI

CHAIRPERSON: Elections of Chair and Vice-Chair at the Organizational Meeting by the Directors at the first meeting held on or after July 1st of each calendar year shall be tallied with all Directors’ votes being given equal weight at the closure of said meeting. In the event of a tie vote for either of the above officers, the tie shall be broken by tallying weighted votes. The former Chair or Vice Chair shall conduct business until the new leadership is elected. In the event that no one is nominated or voted upon, the most senior member present will serve as Chair pro tem.

Incase neither the Chairperson nor the Vice-Chairperson is in attendance at any regular or special meeting, said meeting may be called to order by any Director who shall serve only until a temporary Chairperson has been elected to serve as Chairperson for this one regular or special meeting.

ARTICLE VII

MINUTES: A copy of the minutes of all regular and special meetings shall be provided for each Director by the Secretary as soon as possible after each meeting, and these minutes, as approved, shall be kept as permanent record by each Director for at least the preceding two years. At the beginning of each Board member's term, copies of the two preceding year’s minutes of regular and Special Board meetings shall be provided upon request from the office of the Superintendent.

ARTICLE VIII

ABSENCE OF SECRETARY: No meeting of any kind shall be held without the Secretary (Superintendent of Schools) or his/her appointed designee.

ARTICLE IX

PERMANENT BOARD STANDING COMMITTEES: All standing committees shall consist of at least three members elected by the Directors or appointed by the Chairperson following the Organizational meeting. Such committees shall serve for a period of one year with each Director having to serve on at least one permanent committee. Each committee shall elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and a recording Secretary. Once elected Committee Chair, a Board Member may not serve as Chair in any other Standing Committee listed below. If a vacancy occurs, the Board Chair shall appoint until the following year. Summarized minutes of each committee meeting shall be provided to the office of the Superintendent on a monthly basis and then shall be provided to each Board member with the monthly agenda. The committees shall meet monthly, as necessary or advised by the Board Chair. An Orientation committee will meet as necessary to familiarize and welcome new Board members as needed.

1. Finance 4. (Budget shall meet as a full Board)

2. Policy/By-Laws 5. Facilities/Long Range Planning

3. Negotiations/Personnel 6. Curriculum

TEMPORARY/ADVISORY COMMITTEES: The Chairperson of the Board may appoint Temporary Committees to serve when needed as voted upon by the Board. Advisory committees may include individuals who are not elected members of the Board but each advisory committee shall have at least two Board representatives. District Personnel and community members may serve on an advisory committee in an informative capacity (non-voting). No District employee may serve as chair of an Advisory committee. A Temporary/Advisory committee may be dissolved at any time by Board action. No advisory committee shall continue for a prolonged period without a specific assignment

ARTICLE X

ELECTION OF STAFF: The election of professional staff shall be by vote of the Directors on the nomination of the Superintendent. All other nonprofessional employees will be at the recommendation of the superintendent and the Board will be notified at the next Board meeting.

ARTICLE XI

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS: The Board may hold executive sessions upon recorded vote of 2/3 of the members present and voting. Any motion to enter executive session must state the precise nature of the executive session and cite the statutory or other authority that permits an executive session for that business. Executive sessions shall be conducted as permitted by law. Any parties to be discussed must be notified and given time to be present. No final action shall be taken in executive session. An example of a motion would be “to consider the expulsion of a student from a public school pursuant to (as allowed under) 1 M.R.S.A. § 405(6)(B).”

ARTICLE XII

INTERPRETATION OF POLICY/ BY-LAWS: There shall be a permanent Policy/By-Laws Committee whose duty shall be to incorporate into Policy/By-Laws such governance changes as may be requested by the Directors or Federal and State Law. It shall be their duty to make recommendations to these Policy/By-Laws for the Directors in accordance to Maine law and Statute. Policy/By-Laws may be changed by additions, by deletions, or by change of wording by 2/3 majority vote of the Board of Directors present, after the proposed changes have been read and approved in two regular meetings. Board Members shall be given copies of all changes and final three punched drafts, to be added to the MSAD 31 Policy book. This book is to be current and prepared for the Director’s successor and passed on at the end of each Director’s term to the Superintendent’s office.

Approved by the Board Effective: 10/17/1984

Amended: 01/18/1995

Amended: 10/15/1997

First Reading: 06/03/1998

Amended: 06/17/1998

First Reading: 08/19/1998

Amended: 09/16/1998

First Reading: 08/18/1999

Amended: 09/15/1999

First Revised Reading: 08/03/2004

Amended: 08/18/2004