Most school boards in Ohio rely on Robert’s Rules of Order to help them run effective and efficient school board meetings. Although there are aspects of Robert’s that you will never use as a school board member, there are several you’ll find yourself using more regularly. Let’s discuss a few topics that members frequently call us about on the OSBA legal hotline.
- Agendas. A well-crafted agenda helps board members prepare for discussions and decisions and makes it possible to conduct the meeting in an orderly, efficient and fair manner. There is no legal requirement to use an agenda, nor is there any language in the Ohio Revised Code that discusses how they can or should be used. In the absence of any statutory guidance, most districts have adopted board policies that govern their agendas and how they are prepared, disseminated and amended. Check out policies BDDB, Agenda Format and BDDC, Agenda Preparation and Dissemination if you are an OSBA policy subscriber.
- Amendments. If you only have time to study one aspect of parliamentary procedure, make sure that you understand the motion to amend. This motion allows a board member to perfect the wording of the main motion and is regularly used in Ohio school board meetings. When an amendment is offered, the board first must vote on the amendment before voting on the main motion.
Making a motion and amending it once before voting on the amended motion can usually be handled with no problem. However, multiple amendments, retractions, and attempts to amend an amendment can leave everyone clueless about what the board is actually voting on. For this reason, it is helpful if the board president clearly states the amendment and its impact before the board takes its vote. For example: “The motion before the board is to approve contracting for board member training. It has been moved and seconded to amend the motion by adding the words: ‘at a cost not to exceed $1000.’ If the amendment passes, the motion will read: ‘Motion to approve contracting for board member training at a cost not to exceed $1,000.’ Discussion is now only on adding the words ‘at a cost not exceeding $1000.’” By voting on an amendment, members only are deciding whether to change the main motion. Once all amendments are considered, the group still has to take a final vote on the initial motion itself.
- Reconsidering or rescinding motions. There are two motions that allow a board to reconsider, rescind or amend something that it previously adopted. The motion to reconsider allows the board to correct a hasty, ill-advised, or erroneous action or amend something in light of new or additional information. The motion only can be made at the same meeting in which the original vote was taken and must be moved by a voter on the prevailing side. The motion to rescind, on the other hand, permits the board to change an action adopted at a previous meeting. Although any member may make the motion to rescind, it requires a two-thirds vote of the members present or a majority of full membership if notice wasn’t given to members in advance of the meeting. Neither the motion to reconsider nor the motion to rescind may be used if the matter has been completed or individuals’ rights under the motion as passed have vested.
If you would like to improve your parliamentary procedure skills, there are many resources to help you. OSBA offers a “Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance” fact sheet that is a clear and quick reference on the different types of motions, when it is proper to use them, whether they are debatable and amendable, and how many votes are required. As I mentioned above, we also routinely answer questions about Robert’s Rules of Order on the OSBA legal hotline. Feel free to call us at 855-OSBA-LAW prior to your board meeting if you anticipate a controversial motion or you want to walk through how to use different motions.