Board of education votes to enter closed session citing negotiations and legal advice

An unidentified board member moved that the board of education go into closed session, citing deliberations on negotiating the purchase of public properties, the investing of public funds and consultation with legal counsel about litigation strategy. The motion, read aloud during a special meeting, invoked Wisconsin open-meetings law as the legal basis.

"I move that the board of education go into closed session for the purpose of, 1, deliberating on negotiating the purchase of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conduction specified public business whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session," the unidentified speaker said, adding that the motion included conferring with legal counsel regarding litigation strategy.

Board member Maya seconded the motion. During the ensuing roll-call-style confirmation, six members were recorded as voting in favor and one member was noted as having stepped out and not voting. The meeting record, as read aloud, lists board members Vander Meulen, Castro, Muldrow, Mosner Felton and Vice President Pearson among those recorded as voting "aye," and the mover also recorded their vote as "aye." The speaker then confirmed there were sufficient members present to proceed into closed session.

The motion cited Wisconsin open-meetings provisions as its legal basis; the transcript references "Wisconsin State statute sections 19.851 e" and later "19.851 g," which were recorded during the meeting. Correcting for statutory citation and matching common legal references to Wisconsin law, those provisions appear to refer to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e) and (g), which govern closed-session exceptions for negotiation and consultation with legal counsel. The transcript does not include a date, the name of the presiding officer, or the full formal name of the board beyond "board of education." The record ends after the vote confirmation and does not contain the text of any discussion that might have taken place in closed session.

The board's procedural action means members will meet privately under the authority cited to discuss the specified negotiation and legal matters; the public record of the meeting remains limited to the motion and the vote to enter closed session. The transcript notes that board member Sarava stepped out prior to the vote and was not counted among those recorded as voting.