Board Bylaws in the Digital Era

This week we are continuing with our theme for January, “Foresight Should be 20/20.” Last week we discussed the relationship between emailing board members and the Minnesota Open Meeting Law (OML). This week, we will continue our look into how the OML fits into school board policy.

The beginning of the year is also a good time to look over a document that probably doesn’t get a lot of love: your school board bylaws. One aspect to consider is whether your bylaws allow for board members to join electronically. If they do, it is important to comply with key OML requirements:

1. The public must be able to hear all discussion and votes, as well as be able to participate in testimony.

2. All votes must be done in a roll call format, so each member’s vote on each issue can be identified and recorded.

3. The board shall allow persons to monitor the meeting electronically from a remote location.

The school board should evaluate whether the additional effort of holding meetings electronically under OML is worth the benefits and revise their bylaws accordingly. It is important to note that this is not an inclusive list of OML requirements. If you would like help reviewing your bylaws to assess OML compatibility, give us a call. Not only can we make your bylaws current, but we can also set up your electronic meetings so that the subject of discussion is at the forefront, instead of technical difficulties.