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Board narrows chair's external authority, directs board attorney to attend truancy hearings
Summary
The board voted to remove a provision that allowed the board chair to provide direction to the board attorney outside of scheduled board meetings and separately directed the board attorney to attend truancy court dates when staff appear.
The Craven County Board of Education voted on a pair of governance changes to clarify the board chair's authority and to ensure legal representation at truancy hearings.
Board members debated language in Policy 2210 that had allowed the chairperson to provide direction to the board attorney outside of scheduled board meetings. One board member argued the clause could permit unilateral chair actions without the full board's deliberation. After discussion a motion to strike the clause was made and adopted; two board members voted against removing that language.
Separately, the board approved a motion directing the board attorney (Mr. Gajel) to attend truancy court dates when district staff are appearing, ensuring legal guidance will be present for those proceedings. Miss Stacy moved the latter motion; it was seconded and passed.
Why it matters: the language change limits informal unilateral direction to the board's legal counsel, and the requirement for legal attendance at truancy hearings ensures consistent legal representation when staff pursue court-based student attendance enforcement.
Ending: board members discussed broader expectations for chair communications and asked staff to ensure written processes reflect the clarified lines of authority. The board also reiterated open-session and closed-session procedures for sensitive security documents.
