The Boyertown Area School District policy committee reviewed Policy 006.1, which governs attendance via electronic communications, and deferred any change pending a larger discussion at the committee of the whole.

Superintendent noted the policy was last revised in July 2020 and currently stipulates that a majority of school directors must be physically present at a board meeting when other directors attend electronically. "The policy stipulates that the majority of individuals would still need to be present," he said, and raised practical scenarios such as holding meetings during snowstorms or district closures.

Several board members said an in-person quorum safeguards the integrity of decision-making during substantive agenda items. One member said, "If 4 people are already unable to make it, then it doesn't happen that often... I think having the quorum here protects the integrity of the board." Another questioned whether executive session authority might allow emergent, nonadvertised meetings to occur if physical attendance is impossible.

Because committee membership was not full that evening, the superintendent recommended no immediate policy change and asked the full board to discuss the matter at a committee-of-the-whole meeting; legal counsel would be consulted if a specific emergency legal question arises.

Next steps: maintain existing 006.1 language for now and place the topic on the committee-of-the-whole agenda for comprehensive board input.