One of the most frequently asked questions by county boards of education relates to how many members can or should be on a board committee. The issue at hand is not whether two (2) or more board members may be on a committee, but rather whether, if a committee consists of two (2) or more board members, the committee’s meetings must comply with all requirements of the Open Meetings Act, which states:
- If the committee makes recommendations to the public body, and the committee includes at least two members of the public body, or
- Whether or not the committee includes members of the public body, if the committee is authorized by law to exercise some portion of the executive or legislative power, or
- Regardless of the committee’s purpose, if its membership includes a quorum of the parent body.
If so, the Open Meetings Committee’s advisory opinions, would require the following:
- Rules about giving advance written notice of meetings to the public and news media about posting agendas of meetings,
- Rules about holding all meetings in the open for the public and media to attend,
- Rules about going into private session only if and as the Open Meetings Act allows for executive sessions, and
- Rules about approving meeting minutes and making them available to the public, etc.