By-law No. 1 (ii) - Meetings of the Board

Bylaw No. 1, Section II – Meetings of the Board 

1. Meetings of the Board shall be held at least once during each month on a Monday

at the hour of 19:00, or upon such other day or days during the month or at such other

hour as the Board may order. (School Act, Section 67) 

2. A quorum shall be a majority of trustees holding office at the time of the meeting.

(School Act, Section 66)

(a) The Superintendent of Schools and the Secretary-Treasurer shall be present at all

meetings of the Board. The Board may excuse either or both of these officials during

discussion of any matter, but no Board action shall be taken unless both officials are

present except (School Act, Section 69)

(i) if a portion of the meeting concerns the work performance or employment

of the Superintendent of Schools, the Board may excuse the Superintendent of

Schools from attending that portion of the meeting;

(ii) if a portion of the meeting concerns the work performance or employment

of the Secretary-Treasurer, the Board may excuse the Secretary-Treasurer from

attending that portion of the meeting; and, if so, shall designate the

Superintendent of Schools, or another employee of the Board, to attend the

meeting in place of the Secretary-Treasurer to perform the duties of the Secretary-

Treasurer at the meeting. 

3. If, thirty minutes after the time appointed for the meeting of the Board, there

should not be a quorum present, then the meeting shall stand adjourned to a date to be

fixed by the Chairperson, or, in default of the Chairperson’s fixing the same, then until

the next regular meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall record the names of the members

present at the expiration of such thirty minutes. 

4. The Board shall not remain in session for more than four hours. 

5. A special meeting of the Board may be called by the Chairperson or, upon written

request of a majority of the trustees, may be called by the Secretary Treasurer. No

business other than that for which the meeting is called, shall be conducted at the

meeting. 

6. Forty-eight hours notice’ in writing shall be given of any special meeting of the

Board, which notice must be given to each trustee by delivery of the same at the place

designated by him/her for notice, or failing any such designated place, then at his/her

address as set out in his/her nomination paper. 

7. Written notice of any special meeting of the Board may be waived provided that

reasonable steps shall have been taken to notify all trustees of the meeting and that not

less than the number of trustees required to make a quorum agree to the waiving of the

written notice. 

8. No act or proceeding shall be valid or binding on the Board unless such act or

proceeding shall have been adopted at a meeting called and held as herein provided.

9. Subject to subsection 10 below, all Board meetings shall be open to the public

(School Act, Section 69) 

10. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the following matters shall be

considered in private session: (School Act, Section 69)

(i) Matters pertaining to individual pupils, including but not limited to the

conduct, performance, discipline, suspension or expulsion, attendance, enrolment

or registration of individual pupils, or appeals of students or parents made

pursuant to Section 11 of the School Act.

(ii) Salary claims and adjustments, and the consideration of requests of

employees and Board offers with respect to collective bargaining procedures.

(iii) The conduct, efficiency, discipline, suspension, termination or retirement

of employees.

(iv) Medical examiner’s reports, medical examination reports, and other

medical reports.

(v) Staff changes, including appointments, transfers, resignations and

promotions and demotions.

(vi) Matters pertaining to the safety, security or protection of Board property

or to individual safety.

(vii) Accident claims, and other matters where Board liability may arise.

(viii) Legal opinions respecting the liability or interest of the Board.

(xi) Purchases of real property, including the designation of new sites,

consideration of appraisal reports, consideration of amounts claimed by owners,

determination of board offers, and expropriation procedures.

(x) Lease, sale or exchange of real property prior to finalization thereof.

(xi) Matters, the disclosure of which, would be harmful to Third Party

Business Interests.

(xii) Such other matters as the Board may decide, in keeping with legislative

requirements. 

11. Trustees wishing to raise issues concerning the appropriateness of an in-camera

meeting, or to seek the disclosure of information discussed in private session must, where

possible, provide the Chair of the relevant meeting with reasonable advance notice of

their intentions in this regard. 

12. Where the Board meets in-camera pursuant to 10 above, the minutes for the next

public Board meeting shall reflect: (School Act, Sections 67 and 72)

(a) the fact that the Board met in private session, and the dates of any such meetings;

(b) a general statement as to the nature of the matters discussed and the general nature

of the decisions reached at the in-camera meeting; and

c) any other information pertaining to the meeting whose release has been

authorized by Board motion.

In circumstances where the inclusion of the above information in the minutes of the next

public meeting is not practicable, it shall be included in the minutes of a subsequent

Board meeting. 

13. In the event that the Chairperson should vacate his/her office during his/her term

or cease to be a trustee, the Board shall elect a Chairperson in the manner prescribed in

Section 1, subsections 3 and 4. (School Act, Section 67)