Policies » Section B: School Board Governance & Operations » BEDG: Minutes

Policy Date: 03/12/2024

ASD File: BEDG
AUBURN SCHOOL DISTRICT
MINUTES

Under RSA 91-A, the school board, and each of the school board’s committees (whether standing or ad hoc, or
whether deemed a sub-committee or an advisory committees) is required to keep minutes for every “meeting”
as defined under 91-A:2, I. As used below, “Board” shall mean and include the district school board, and each
such board committee.

The Board will keep a record of the actions taken at Board meetings in the form of minutes. At a minimum, all
minutes, public and non-public, shall include:

1) the names of members participating,

2) persons appearing before the School Board (any persons other than board members who address the
board or speak at the meeting;

3) a brief description of each subject matter discussed;

4) identification of each member who made a first or second of any motion;

5) a record of all final decisions;

6) When a recorded roll call vote on a motion is required by law or called for by the Chair (or other
presiding officer), a record of how each board member voted on the motion; and

7) In the event a board member objects to the subject matter of discussion, that objection will be reflected
in the minutes.

Copies of the draft minutes of a meeting will be sent to the members of the Board before the meeting at which
they are to be approved. The preceding sentence, however, shall not apply to minutes of non-public sessions
when the Board has sealed such minutes by a recorded roll call vote taken in public session with 2/3 of the
board members present supporting the motion. Drafts of non-public minutes will be provided to the Board
either at the conclusion of the non-public session and may be approved at the time – prior to any vote to seal, or
if sealed, provided to Board at the meeting at which they are to be approved.

Draft minutes of all public meetings, clearly marked as drafts, will be made available for public inspection no
later than five (5) business days after each public session. Minutes for non-public sessions shall be kept as a
separate document. Draft minutes for all non-public sessions, will be made available for public inspection within
seventy-two (72) hours after the non-public session, unless sealed in accordance with the procedure described
in the preceding paragraph.

Notes and other materials used in the preparation of the minutes must be retained until the minutes are
approved or finalized.

All minutes, including draft minutes, will be kept in accordance with RSA 91-A:2 and RSA 91-A:3 and will be in
the custody of the Superintendent.

Approved minutes, except those non-public session minutes which are sealed, shall be consistently posted on
the District’s web site in a reasonably accessible location or the web site shall contain a notice describing where
the minutes may be reviewed and copies requested. Draft minutes will be available for inspection at the
District’s administrative office.

Sealed Minutes List. For non-public meetings beginning January 1, 2022, the Superintendent is directed to
maintain a list of all sealed minutes for non-public sessions. The list shall include:

a. the name of the public body (e.g., School Board, Policy Committee, etc.);

b. the date and time of the public meeting;

c. the start and end times of the non-public session;

d. the specific exemption in RSA 91-A:3 for the non-public session;

e. the date the vote to seal the minutes occurred; and

f. the date, if any, of a subsequent decision to unseal the minutes

The Sealed Minutes List shall be updated each time the public body seals non-public minutes, and the
updated List shall be made as soon as practicable for public disclosure.

Sealed minutes related to discussions in non-public session under RSA 91-A:2, ll (d) shall be made available to
the public as soon as practicable after the transaction has closed or the School Board has decided not to proceed
with the transaction.

Sealed minutes must either be reviewed within each ten year period or unsealed no later than the expiration of
ten years following the date they were sealed or last reviewed. Minutes sealed prior to October 3, 2023 must be
reviewed and/or unsealed by October 3, 2033.

The Board will review previously sealed non-public minutes within ten years of the date the minutes were first
sealed, or within ten years of the last time those minutes were last reviewed by the Board. The minutes shall be
unsealed by majority vote of the Board if the circumstances justifying sealing the minutes no longer apply.
As used in this policy, “sealed” minutes in reference to minutes of non-public sessions, means that the Board
determined by 2/3 majority vote in public session that “divulgence of the information” (i.e., information in the
minutes of the non-public session):

i. Would affect adversely the reputation of a person other than a Board member;

ii. Would render ineffective the action/proposed action taken in non-public session; or

iii. Pertains matters relating the preparation for and carrying out of all emergency
functions intended to thwart a deliberate act intended to result in widespread or
severe damage to property or widespread injury or loss of life (i.e., terrorism).

Minutes which are not reviewed after 10 years will be automatically unsealed.

Legal References:
RSA 91-A:2 II, Public Records and Meetings: Meetings Open to Public, RSA 91-A:3 III, Public Records and
Meetings: Non-Public Sessions, RSA 91-A: 4 I, Public Records and Meetings: Minutes and Records available for
Public Inspection, RSA 189:29-a Records Retention and Disposition

Adopted: October 12, 1999
Revised: June 9, 2009, January 9, 2018, December 11, 2018, March 12, 2024