Board reviews new state requirement to livestream meetings; policy must be adopted by Nov. 5

Richland School District 2 administrators presented a draft policy to comply with a 2025 state law requiring school boards to livestream all meetings subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and trustees discussed how the district will implement the requirement.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Marshall Ann Franklin told the board that state legislation enacted during the 2025 session requires livestreaming of board meetings covered by FOIA. For Richland 2, she said the requirement extends to regular board meetings, special-called meetings, agenda review meetings, committee meetings, workshops, work sessions and retreats where FOIA applies. The policy must be adopted by Nov. 5; implementation is not required until Jan. 1, 2026.

Board members raised practical concerns about the technical reliability of livestreaming from remote sites such as schools or off-site retreats. Trustee Gary Dennis asked whether a temporary audio-only fallback would meet the law if the video stream fails; Dr. Franklin and district IT staff said the district records video even if a livestream fails and that the recorded material can be posted. Administrators noted the district has livestreamed board meetings for roughly 14 years and will work to ensure reliability at remote locations, but said additional testing and planning will be necessary.

The draft policy is based on a model from the School Boards Association; the administration proposed minor insertions and strike-through changes to reflect district practice and the access-to-broadband section was not considered applicable because the district already regularly livestreams. Trustees requested time to review the draft and asked staff to return with any recommended technical procedures and contingency plans for remote venues.

The board did not adopt the policy at this meeting; administration noted the statutory adoption deadline and the Jan. 1, 2026 implementation date.