Madison Metropolitan School District Board votes to enter closed session on personnel matters

Board member Nichols called a special meeting of the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education and moved that the board go into closed session under Wisconsin Statute § 19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance-evaluation data for public employees. The motion carried by recorded voice vote.

The closed-session motion cited state law that permits a governmental body to meet privately to consider “employment, promotion, compensation, or performance evaluation data of any public employee” over which the body has jurisdiction. After the motion, members responded by roll call: Board member Castro, Vice President Peterson, Board member Muldrow, Board member Vander Meulen and Board member Mosler Feltham each recorded “Aye.” Board member Nichols also recorded “Aye.” The roll-call record for Board member Simkin was not captured in the public transcript provided.

The board did not state any additional public details about the subject of the personnel discussion before moving into closed session. The meeting transcript ends with the board going into closed session; no formal actions or outcomes from the closed session are recorded in the public portion of the transcript.

The Board invoked the statutory exemption commonly used for personnel matters. Under Wisconsin law, sessions held under § 19.85(1)(c) are closed to the public except where release of information is authorized or required by other law; the board did not announce any such release at the time the motion was made.

The special meeting appears limited to this agenda item; the public-record portion of the transcript contains the motion, the roll call and the announcement that the board would enter closed session, with no subsequent public votes or directions reported.