210.7 Rules of Order

An orderly board meeting allows the board members to participate in the discussion and decision process on an issue confronting the school district.  Rules of order for board meetings allow school district business and the relative information concerning the business to be brought to the attention of the board.  They also allow the board to discuss, act upon and make a clear record of school district business in a regular, ordered, reasonable and consistent manner. 

The board may follow Robert's Rule of Order, Revised, latest edition as modified by this policy and subsequent rule. 

The purpose of modified rules adopted by the board are: 

• To establish guidelines by which the business of the governing board can be conducted in a regular and internally consistent manner; 
• To organize the meetings so all necessary matters can be brought to the board and decisions of the board can be made in an orderly and reasonable manner; 
• To ensure members of the board, concentrating on the substantive issues at hand, have the necessary information to make decisions, and to ensure adequate discussion of decisions to be made; and,  
• To ensure meetings and actions of the board are conducted so as to be informative to the staff and the public, and to produce a clear record of actions taken and decisions made. 

It is the responsibility of each board member to follow the rules of order stated in this policy at each meeting, and it is the responsibility of the presiding officer to conduct the board meeting within these rules. 

Legal Reference:     Iowa Code §§ 21.2, .7; 279.8. 

Cross Reference:    210 Board of Directors' Meetings 

                                210.8 Board Meeting Agenda

Approved    11-15-04  Reviewed    5-16-05, 2-20-06, 05-18-15, 7-22-19    Revised      3-21-11