South Lane School Board votes to remove Jan. 5 teacher work day, reschedules meeting for Jan. 12

The South Lane School District board of directors voted at an emergency meeting to remove Jan. 5 from the district calendar as a scheduled work day for staff, and the board rescheduled its next meeting for Jan. 12, the chair said.

The chair opened the special meeting with a temporary gavel and said the session would forgo routine formalities because it had a single agenda item: altering the calendar to eliminate Jan. 5 as a teacher/work day. A board member moved “that we cut January 5 from the school calendar as a teacher work day,” and the chair confirmed there was a motion and a second.

A staff member sought clarification and said the change applied “for all staff scheduled to work that day, including myself,” listing certified, classified, confidential and administrative personnel as included. The chair thanked the staff member for the clarification.

The chair called for a vote, instructed members to signify assent by raising their hands and declared the motion carried after members signaled their approval. The transcript records an audible “Aye” from the staff member and the chair’s statement that the motion carried; the transcript does not record a full roll-call tally.

Following the vote, the chair announced that because the district would be closed on Jan. 5 the board meeting would be moved to Jan. 12 and asked whether that date worked for attendees; a board member confirmed it did. The chair noted there had been complaints about the new meeting date coinciding with a city council meeting but indicated the board would proceed with Jan. 12.

With no further business, the chair closed the emergency session with holiday greetings and adjourned the meeting.

Next steps: the board’s calendar now reflects Jan. 5 removed as a scheduled work day and the next meeting set for Jan. 12; the transcript does not record any further administrative actions or a recorded vote tally.