Code No. 210.7
Rules of Order
An orderly board meeting allows the board members to participate in the discussion and decision about an issue confronting the school district. Rules of order for board meetings allow school district business and the relative information concerning the business to be brought to the attention of the board. They also allow the board to discus, act upon, and make a clear record of school district business in a regular, ordered, reasonable, and consistent manner.
It is the responsibility of each board member to follow the rules of order stated in this policy at each meeting and it is the responsibility of the presiding officer to conduct the board meeting within these rules.
The board shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order as modified by the board and stated below:
1. Board members need not rise to gain the recognition of the chair.
2. Motions will be made as a positive action.
3. A motion will be adopted or carried if it receives an affirmative vote from more than half of the votes cast. Only “yes” and “no” votes are counted
in this calculation. It should be noted that some motions require larger numbers of affirmative votes, such as to move into a closed session.
4. Motions shall receive a second, prior to opening the issue for discussion of the board. If a motion does not receive a second, the chair may declare
the motion dead for lack of a second.
5. The chair may decide the order in which board members will be recognized to address an issue. An attempt should be made to alternate between pro and con positions.
6. The chair shall rule on motions that come before the board.
7. The chair may rule on points of order brought before the board.
8. The chair shall have complete authority to recognize any member of the audience regarding a request to participate in the board meeting. Members
of the public who wish to participate shall follow the procedures outlined in Board Policy 216, “Public Participation in School Board Meetings”.
9. The chair has the authority to declare a recess at any time for the purpose of restoring decorum to the meeting.
10. The order in which names will be called for roll call votes will be as follows:
a. Board members will be listed in alphabetical order by last name.
b. Roll call votes will be called in alphabetical order, beginning at various positions on the list.
c. The first roll call vote will begin at the top of the list and proceed down. The second roll call vote will begin with
the second name and proceed down the list, with the last name called to be the first person called on the previous vote.
d. A person’s absence, or presence, will have no effect on the rotation.
e. The board president’s name is placed in the rotation and receives no preferential treatment due to elected position.
f. The board secretary will maintain the record of rotation for roll call votes. The sequence will continue from meeting to meeting.
11. The chair has the same authority and responsibility as each board member to vote on all issues.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code Chapters 21.2, .7, 279.8
Cross Reference: 210 Board of Directors’ Meetings
210.8 Board Meeting Agenda
Approved: April 10, 1989
Reviewed: December 17, 2012
Revised: March 22, 1994
Revised: September 16, 2019