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MVLA trustees authorize closed‑session meeting with legal counsel to review controversial policy language
Summary
A majority of MVLA trustees authorized two board members and the superintendent to consult with district counsel in closed session to question recently recommended language in a controversial policy; the board capped the initial consultation at roughly one hour and administration estimated counsel at about $350 per hour.
During the Jan. 12 Mountain View–Los Altos board meeting trustees discussed concerns about a recently adopted controversial policy referred to in the discussion as policy 61 44 (spoken in the meeting as “policy 6144/61 44”). A board member asked that she and another trustee meet with district legal counsel, saying the attorney’s recommendation that produced the policy appears insufficient to address the event that prompted the change.
Board member 8 said the change "does absolutely nothing to address the event" in question and asked to question the attorney’s recommendation. Superintendent Volta and other trustees discussed whether a subset of the board should meet counsel or if the whole board should meet, and whether the meeting should be held in closed session. The superintendent stated a likely hourly rate for an associate attorney of "approximately $350 an hour." The chair said the majority of the board supported a consultation in closed session and set a limit of one hour for the attorney consultation.
Several trustees said they want to hear from counsel in closed session before taking further action; others emphasized that any substantive changes to policy would return to the full board for consideration. Trustees also discussed transparency to the public about the expense and confirmed the meeting would be in closed session because it may involve privileged legal advice and personnel/process elements that cannot be aired in open session.
Next steps: the board authorized a closed‑session consultation with legal counsel limited to an hour and with the superintendent and board designees to attend; any recommended policy revisions would be returned to the full board for deliberation.
