The following set of Norms and Responsibilities for the Dougherty County Board of Education were developed in conjunction and collaboration with the Georgia School Board Association and the Dougherty County School System and reflect how the Dougherty County Board of Education shall conduct its business. 

Purpose:
The purpose of this document is to put in writing the beliefs, values and expectations for how the Dougherty County Board of Education should function as it conducts the business of the students, families, employees and stakeholders of Dougherty County.

Structure:

The Dougherty County Board of Education derives its authority from the citizens and stakeholders of Dougherty County as well as the Constitution of the state of Georgia. Six board members are elected to serve districts that comprise Dougherty County while a seventh board member is elected at-large to represent the entire county. 

The board approves the hiring of a superintendent and the employees of the district, sets policy and approves a budget for the Dougherty County School System.

The superintendent ensures the day-to-day operations of the district and makes recommendations to the board. The Superintendent shall be charged with the management and control of the public schools of Dougherty County as provided for and in compliance with Georgia law, State Board of Education rules, and local Board policies.  The Superintendent shall serve as secretary and administrative officer of the Board.

Responsibilities:

While granting board authority to control and manage the schools, the Constitution of the State of Georgia also specifically authorizes the county boards of education to perform the following acts:

To contract with each other for the care, education and transportation of pupils.
To accept bequests, donations, and grants of land or other property for the use of their respective systems of education.
To direct the fiscal authority of the county to levy a school tax.
To be the policy-making body for the public school of Dougherty County

Norms:

 I. The Board Agenda:
A tentative agenda for the Dougherty County Board of Education is developed by the superintendent and presented to the board and to the public no less than three days before each meeting. This excludes any time-sensitive information that may arise between the time the original agenda is developed and the board meeting, provided, however, that the board votes at its meeting to add the item to the agenda for any action items.

A. Placing Items on the Agenda

The superintendent develops the agenda in consultation with the board chair. 

B. Executive Session
State law (OCGA 50-14-3) allows for the discussion of certain confidential information in a legal, closed-door meeting provided that no votes are taken during the meeting and that the reason for the confidential meeting is stated ahead of time. For the purposes of the Dougherty County Board of Education, the board shall limit executive sessions to discussions of:

 

1. Pending Litigation
    

2. Student Safety or Discipline
    

3. Property Acquisition
    

4. Personnel Matters
    

5. Any other permissible reason allowed by state law.

 

C. Use of Consent Agenda
It shall be the preference and practice of this board that, whenever possible, a “consent agenda” be used to adopt agenda items. A consent agenda occurs when routine agenda items or items that do not require deliberation or explanation are grouped together for consideration rather than voted on separately. The chair shall ask the board for a consent agenda, which would then be followed up by a motion from a board member stating the specific items to be grouped together for the consent agenda. 

Any board member can request that an item be removed from the consent agenda if they feel that the item requires additional information, discussion or deliberation.

 

II. Conduct During Board Meetings

In order to conduct the district’s business and take action, four members of the seven-member board of Education must be present either in-person or via teleconference.
 

A. Persons Addressing the Board - Board Policy BCBD

 

Individuals who wish to appear before the Board may submit a written request to the Superintendent together with a statement of the topic to be addressed.  Those individuals who have submitted a written request to appear before the Board prior to the meeting shall be allowed to address the Board for 10 minutes; provided, however, additional time may be approved by a majority vote of the Board.

At the beginning of each meeting, individuals who wish to address a specific agenda item shall complete a speaker appearance form. The speaker appearance form will be provided by the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee who shall be available to answer any questions regarding procedures for addressing the Board.  Speakers who wish to address a specific agenda item shall be given three to five minutes to make their remarks.  The time per speaker shall be determined by the chairperson, depending on the number of speakers and topics.  Additional time for a speaker may be approved by a majority vote of the Board.

There shall be an agenda item entitled  "speaker appearances."  This agenda item shall contain a list of those individuals who have requested at least five business days in advance of the meeting that their names be placed on the agenda.  Following presentations by those on the agenda, the chairperson shall recognize those who wish to speak on a specific agenda item and have completed a speaker appearance form.

Topics prohibited from public disclosure by the Family Education Privacy Rights Act, O.C.G.A. §20-2-757 governing the conduct of school disciplinary tribunals, or any other state or federal statutes will not be discussed in open session.  In addition, the Board may prohibit public discussion of those matters that are exemptions from the Georgia Open Meetings Act.

Notwithstanding any provision contained in this policy, meetings of the Dougherty County Board of Education are not open forums and shall be limited to those matters pertaining to the operation and function of the Dougherty County School System.  Nothing in this policy shall provide any individual any right to make a presentation to the Board that is irrelevant or unrelated to the Dougherty County School System; or is unduly repetitious.  While the chair may not stop the speaker because the chair or members of the Board disagree with his/her viewpoint, the speaker may be stopped if his/her presentation becomes irrelevant or unduly repetitious.

Prior to any statement or presentation to the Board, each speaker shall state his/her name and shall provide his/her address.  Each speaker shall comply with the following restrictions:

1. No person shall be allowed to make obscene, derogatory, or slanderous remarks that disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting.
    

2. No person shall address the Board with information about a student unless the student's parents or guardian waive their right to confidentiality under the Family Education Privacy Rights Act or, in the case of an emancipated student, such student waives his/her right to confidentiality under the Family Education Privacy Rights Act.
    

3. No person shall disrupt the meeting or interfere in any way with the orderly conduct of the meeting.
    

4. Remarks shall end when a speaker's allotted time has expired.
    

5. Speakers may respond to questions from Board members and/or the Superintendent should clarification be necessary.  Provided, however, no person shall be permitted to enter into discussion with a Board member or any member of the Dougherty County School System staff during the conduct of a meeting.

Any person who willfully violates these rules shall be prohibited from appearing before the Board for a period of 60 days. The board vests in its chairperson, or other presiding officer, the ability to terminate remarks if they violate the district’s policy or if the speaker does not adhere to the established rules.

 

B. Voting

 

1. Each action item shall require a motion and second prior to discussion and voting.
    

2. The Board Chairman may participate in the discussion and vote on all action items.
    

3. Voting shall be by voice and/or show of hands, as directed by the Chairman. Any member may abstain from voting, and a member’s vote or failure to vote shall be recorded upon the member’s request.
    

4. In case of a tie vote, the Chairman or two members may bring the item back to the Board on a subsequent agenda.

 

III. Individual Board Member’s Request for Information or Reports

A. Board members shall request information and/or reports through the Superintendent.


B. The Superintendent will gather the information and/or reports and disseminate it in a timely manner to all Board members.


C. Board members are encouraged to advise the Superintendent of questions or concerns on agenda items before the Board meeting.

IV. Citizen Request/Complaint for Board Members

A. The Board has provided a complaint process that encourages the resolution of concerns at the level at which the concern arises. It is the intent of the Board that the public is treated with dignity and respect throughout the complaint process.


B. When an individual Board member is contacted by a member of the public, the board member is to encourage the individual to discuss the concern or complaint through informal conferences with the appropriate administrator.


C. The Board member should explain the steps in the complaint process if the concern cannot be resolved informally.


D. The Board member should explain the need for himself/herself to remain impartial due to the potential for a hearing if the complaint remains unresolved through administrative channels.


E. The Board member should inform the Superintendent of the citizen concern. 

V. Board Member Visits to School Campuses

A. Board members are not to go to a campus or into teachers’ classrooms for the purpose of evaluation or investigation of complaints or grievances. 


B. Board members are encouraged to visit campuses for special events and for parental reasons. Board members as well as parents and visitors to campuses should sign-in at the front office when visiting the campus.

VI. Communications

A. The Superintendent will meet with the Board Chairman on a routine basis or as needed.


B. Board members will keep the Superintendent informed via telephone calls, e-mail, or personal visits.


C. Board members will communicate with the community through public hearings and regular Board meetings.


D. The Board Chairman or his/her designee shall be the official spokesperson for the media/press on issues of media attention that are high profile. Individual Board members should feel free to express their opinions in response to media inquiries, but with discretion-avoiding the appearance of debating an issue through the media, and should avoid criticism of prior action taken by the Board. The superintendent or their designee shall serve as the official spokesperson for the district.

VII. Evaluation of the Superintendent

A. The evaluation of the Superintendent will be in accordance with state law and Board policy.


B. The Board Chairman obtains input from all Board members for the Superintendent’s evaluation.


C. The Superintendent’s evaluation is conducted in executive session.

 

VIII. Duties and Requirements of Board Officers

A. The Board shall elect a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman. 


B. A vacancy among officers of the Board shall be filled by majority action of the Board.


C. Each officer shall perform any legal duties of the office and other duties, as required by the Board. In addition to the duties required by law, the Chairman of the Board shall:
 

1. Preside at all Board meetings unless unable to attend.
    

2. Have the right to discuss, make motions and resolutions, and vote on all matters coming from the Board.
    

3. Execute contracts on behalf of the District, subject to any restrictions imposed by law, as approved by the Board unless such authority has been delegated to the Superintendent or designee.

 

D. The Vice-Chairman of the Board shall:

1. Act in the capacity and perform the duties of the Chairman of the Board in the event of the absence or incapacity of the Chairman.
    

2. Become Chairman only upon being elected to the position.

 

E. The Secretary of the Board (superintendent or designee) shall:

1. Ensure that an accurate record is kept of the proceedings of each Board meeting.
    

2. Ensure that notices of Board meetings are posted and sent as required by law.
    

3. In the absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, call the meetings to order and act as presiding officer. 
    

4. Sign or countersign documents as directed by action of the Board.

IX. Role of the Board in Executive Session

A. The Board may only discuss those items as allowed by law.

B. The Board must vote in public session.

C. Discussions during executive session must remain confidential.