Board of Education Meeting Procedures

The Cecil County Board of Education encourages all citizens of Cecil County to attend its meetings.

The Board meets as a body on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. The date and time of such meetings may be changed by a majority of the Board and the Board may meet at such other times as shall be determined by the Board.

The Cecil County Board of Education is composed of one voting member from each of the five commissioner districts and one non-voting student member. The Board is transitioning from members appointed by the Governor to members elected by the citizens of Cecil County. Three Board members were elected in November 2006. Board members will be elected for the remaining two seats in November 2008. Elected Board members will serve four-year terms and may not serve more than two terms. During the Annual Meeting held in December, Board members elect a President and Vice President for the upcoming calendar year.

The meetings on the second Monday of the month are held at the following times:
4:30 p.m. Executive Session (closed to public)
6:00 p.m. Informal Discussion Session
6:45 p.m. Formal Session

The meetings on the fourth Monday of the month are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and usually operate as Work Sessions.

General Format of Meetings and Opportunities for Citizen Participation
Work Session
Presentations by members of the staff are scheduled during this session. No formal action by the Board is taken at this time. All or a portion of this session may be closed to permit the Board to discuss matters permitted in the Open Meetings Law.

Informal Discussion Session
At this session, Board members may complete calendar related discussions and report on attendance at other meetings. All or a portion of this session may be closed to permit the Board to discuss matters permitted in the Open Meetings Law. This session is specifically designed for ease of citizen participation by providing an opportunity under "Comments and Presentations from the Audience" for persons to address the Board on educational policy matters. Comments and presentations from the public will occur at 6:00 p.m. Informational presentations by members of the staff are also scheduled during this session and no formal action by the Board is taken at this session.

Formal Session
Citizens wishing to be included on the agenda for the Board's formal meeting are to submit a written request briefly stating the nature of their presentation at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting date. Requests to be included on the formal agenda should be addressed to:
Henry A. Shaffer
Superintendent of Schools
Cecil County Public Schools
201 Booth Street
Elkton, MD 21921
Confirmation of receipt of the request and inclusion on the Board's agenda will be provided through the Superintendent's office.

Citizens may not ask questions or participate in discussion of Board agenda items during this session unless they have requested and been included on the meeting agenda for the specific matter under consideration.

Guidelines for Citizens' Participation

1. A presentation timeline may be established by the Board President.
2. Subject matter other than that of policy will be referred to the administration for proper handling.
3. Subject matter must be limited to issues without reference to personalities.
4. An appropriate and professional presentation will be expected.
5. A copy or outline of the presentation should be provided to the Board President.

Rules of Order
Meetings are conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, Revised. A quorum of three members of the board is required to conduct business and an affirmative vote of three of the five members is necessary at all times for the Board to take formal action on the matter at hand.

Minutes of all meetings are recorded and copies of public meeting minutes are available to the public online and at the Administrative Offices.

Special Meetings
The Board may schedule additional meetings as needed and these meetings are called "special meetings". Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, the Secretary at the discretion of the President, or at the written request of a majority of the Board. Whenever possible, special meeting dates will be determined in consultation with Board members with at least 24 hours notice and the meeting purpose given to each member. No business shall be transacted at any special meeting that does not come with the purpose(s) set forth in the call for the meeting unless all members of the Board present agree unanimously to the consideration of the additional item. Some special meetings, such as budget work sessions or hearings on proposed boundary adjustments, may be scheduled by the Board for the purpose of hearing the public's view on a specific subject matter. Guidelines for citizen's input during such special meetings may be established by the Board.

Executive Session
Pursuant to State Government Article 10-508 and Section 4-107 of the Education Article in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Executive Sessions are permitted and may be called by the President, any member, or the Superintendent at any time.

The Cecil County Public School System does not discriminate in admissions, access, treatment, or employment in its programs and activities on the basis of color, sex, age, national origin, religion, or disability. Anyone requiring special accommodations should contact the ADA Coordinator at 410.996.5555 at least one week prior to the meeting date.