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White County board approves first reading to remove chair pro tem language from policy 1201
Summary
The White County Board of Education voted unanimously to approve first reading of an amendment removing a clause that required election of a chair pro tem when both the chair and vice chair are absent; trustees said the change removes redundancy because the board follows Robert's Rules of Order.
White County — The White County Board of Education voted unanimously on Jan. 9 to approve first reading of an amendment to Policy 1201 that would remove three lines requiring that a chair pro tem "shall be elected to preside during a meeting when neither the chair nor the vice chair is present."
Board member Dean, who researched the policy language, told colleagues he had contacted Jennifer White at the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) and was advised that districts commonly rely on TSBA guidance and Robert's Rules of Order for presiding-officer procedures. "I reached out to Jennifer White at TSBA and asked her a couple of different questions," Dean said, and relayed that TSBA told the board that the statement could be changed to say the board "may elect a chair pro tem" and that state law does not prescribe a notice requirement for a pro tem.
Board members said the existing clause duplicates procedures already covered by the board's adoption of Robert's Rules. "Since we follow Robert's Rules of Order, that's covered," one trustee said during deliberations. Trustees agreed to add the amendment to new business and to treat the approved motion as the policy's first reading; the board will return the item for a second reading and final vote at a future meeting.
The discussion covered whether keeping the "shall be elected" language creates ambiguity about timing (at officer elections versus at the start of a meeting where both officers are absent). Several members said the practical approach is to elect a pro tem at the meeting if needed and that, in practice, the circumstance has been rare: one member said in 11 years the board had not faced a meeting where both chair and vice chair were absent. Several trustees reported reviewing peer district policies and said some districts keep the language while others omit it.
Motion and next steps: A motion to remove the three lines of Policy 1201 was moved (mover not specified in the record), seconded by Miss Officer, and passed by voice vote; the board treated the action as a first reading and scheduled a second reading at the next meeting with the revised text to appear in the packet.
Why it matters: The change would remove a specific in-policy procedure and rely on established parliamentary procedure, which trustees said reduces redundancy. The board's resolution of whether to remove the language will be finalized on the second reading.
