Uh . . . even the School Board members don’t know what the meeting is about . . .
Tonight the school board has a meeting with only one item on it . . . this is the entire agenda
1. Call to Order
1.1 Chair calls meeting to order and calls for a motion to go into closed session2. Consideration of social or personal histories or disciplinary data of specific persons, preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons except where par. (b) applies which, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any person referred to in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or investigations, pursuant to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(f)
3. Adjournment
3.1 Motion to adjourn the meeting
There is no agenda item (subject matter). The public can’t reasonably know what they will be talking about. In fact, apparently even the board members don’t know what it is about. I guess we could show up and see what the chair announces as the “nature of the business” but I don’t think this complies with open meetings law.
Every public notice of a meeting of a governmental body shall set forth the time, date, place and subject matter of the meeting, including that intended for consideration at any contemplated closed session, in such form as is reasonably likely to apprise members of the public and the news media thereof. The public notice of a meeting of a governmental body may provide for a period of public comment, during which the body may receive information from members of the public.
Any meeting of a governmental body, upon motion duly made and carried, may be convened in closed session under one or more of the exemptions provided in this section. The motion shall be carried by a majority vote in such manner that the vote of each member is ascertained and recorded in the minutes. No motion to convene in closed session may be adopted unless the chief presiding officer announces to those present at the meeting at which such motion is made, the nature of the business to be considered at such closed session, and the specific exemption or exemptions under this subsection by which such closed session is claimed to be authorized. Such announcement shall become part of the record of the meeting. No business may be taken up at any closed session except that which relates to matters contained in the chief presiding officer’s announcement of the closed session.
When other local bodies go into closed session they discuss evaluations of staff or a specific subject item. In the last 20 years of reading thousands of agendas, I’ve never seen anything this vague that doesn’t at least name a “specific person” or a position or a subject matter. Even if its vague, is this about the hiring of someone? The firing of someone? An expulsion? A concern about a police officer in the schools? (just had to throw that in there! one never knows!) A concern about a board member? A concern about Jen Cheatam? A concern about a principal or teacher or student? Do they just want to gossip about someone? I could go on, but you get my point . . . there’s not even an inkling about what they are discussing during this agenda item.
Concerned? Email your school board members and School Board President Mary Burke that this is not appropriate notice for the public. board@madison.k12.wi.us
This is my email to the board.
What is the subject matter of the meeting tonight? What is the nature of the business to be discussed? I’ve literally read 1,000s of local government agendas over the past 20 years and local government bodies go into closed session regularly. When properly done, there is always a agenda item/subject matter that is announced with the law and reasons for going into closed session. There is no agenda item/subject matter with this notice.
Thanks for all you do. Please fix this.
Brenda Konkel
