Derby board outlines new committee notice rules after Kansas law change

Superintendent Heather Bohati told trustees July 7 that the district has revised its list of board committees and notice procedures to comply with House Bill 2134 and the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

"If it is a board directed committee ... the notice of an open meeting would need to go out much like a board meeting notice," Bohati said, explaining that committees acting on board-directed work (for example strategic planning or handbook review) must be noticed the same way a board meeting would be noticed.

Bohati and staff proposed a board-appointed-committee landing page on the district website that would list committees and meeting dates, and a single weekly notice that would consolidate committee meeting announcements. Katie (district calendar manager) confirmed committee dates could feed into the district Google Calendar and the website landing page.

Board members asked whether posting committee meetings on the district calendar would meet notice requirements. Bohati said she would verify the precise legal standard with the district's legal counsel and that the district planned to post notices on the website in addition to sending notice to parties who request it.

Trustees also discussed annual sign-ups for committee appointments and whether to present a sign-up sheet at a meeting or circulate a Google Doc; Bohati said staff will present sign-up options and return with an implementation plan. The superintendent recommended that safety and security briefings be handled in executive session twice a year because of confidentiality concerns, with the full board receiving the information rather than a small committee.

The proposed policy language and procedural recommendations will be incorporated into the board packet for future action.