Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board forms policy-review committee amid heated debate; four members approve, one objects
Summary
The board voted to establish a policy-review committee to shepherd a transition from OSBA to NEOLA policies, naming two board representatives; the discussion included disputes over member participation and Sunshine Law compliance.
The Little Miami Local School Board on March 20 voted to establish a board committee to review board policies as the district transitions from OSBA to NEOLA policy language. The board designated Bobby Grice and Mary Elmer as the board representatives who will report back to the full board.
Board discussion was contentious. Some board members argued that any board member may attend and participate in the committee's public meetings, while others said only the two representatives would speak for the board and that the committee would operate as a public meeting subject to Ohio’s Sunshine Law. One board member objected to the committee structure as presented and voted no; the roll call was 4–1 in favor of creating the committee with Grice and Elmer as primary representatives.
District administrators said the committee will consult relevant department leads depending on policy subject matter (for example, bringing in special-education administrators for special-education policy). Board members emphasized that all final policy votes will come before the full board.
The vote was recorded by roll call. Concerns raised during the meeting included whether one-on-one calls to board members about policy items could run afoul of Sunshine Law requirements and whether the committee arrangement should be broader to allow more board member participation at the table; the board agreed the meetings would be public and minutes would be kept.
