TITLE 19.EDUCATION

Part 8. WINDHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT

Chapter 300. GENERAL PROVISIONS

19 TAC §300.2

The Windham School District Board of Trustees proposes new §300.2, concerning Windham School District Board of Trustees Operating Procedures.

The purpose of the new rule is to establish operating procedures for the Windham School District Board of Trustees to conduct business.

David McNutt, Chief Financial Officer for the Windham School District, has determined that for the first five years the new rule will be in effect, enforcing or administering the rule does not have foreseeable implications related to costs or revenues for state or local government. Mr. McNutt has also determined that there will be no economic impact on persons required to comply with the new rule. There will be no effect on small and micro-businesses.

The anticipated public benefit as a result of enforcing the new rule will be to enhance public safety.

Comments should be directed to Dr. Ron Bradford, Superintendent, Windham School District, P.O. Box 40, Huntsville, Texas 77342-0040, superintendent@wsd.tx.org. Written comments from the general public should be received within 30 days of the publication of this proposal.

The new rule is proposed under Texas Education Code, §§19.001, et seq.

Cross Reference to Statutes: Texas Education Code, §19.001.

§300.2.Windham School District Board of Trustees Operating Procedures.

(a) General. This section establishes operating procedures for the Windham School District (WSD) Board of Trustees to conduct business.

(b) Organization.

(1) The Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) serves as the Board of Trustees for the Windham School District (WSD Board), pursuant to Chapter 19, Texas Education Code. The TBCJ is a nine (9) member body appointed by the Governor to oversee the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The Chairman of the TBCJ is designated by and serves at the pleasure of the Governor (Section 492.005, Texas Government Code).

(2) The WSD Board operates utilizing the same officers and structure established by the TBCJ.

(3) The TBCJ Education Committee provides WSD a reporting avenue to the WSD Board. By appointment to this committee (in accordance with TBCJ practices), members will be designated to become particularly familiar with various WSD issues, and to bring forward consensus recommendations or a candid report on any disagreements to the full WSD Board.

(4) The Chair of the Education Committee, appointed by the Chairman, may appoint non-members to sit on the committee in an advisory capacity; however, advisory members are non-voting members and cannot be reimbursed for expenses incurred in this capacity.

(5) For employment decisions made specifically by the WSD Board, a limited-purpose committee shall be appointed by the Chairman as deemed necessary to formulate recommendations for full WSD Board consideration.

(c) Meetings.

(1) The WSD Board shall hold its regular meetings in conjunction with those of the TBCJ. Special called meetings of the WSD Board can be held at the discretion of the Chairman.

(2) The TBCJ attempts to hold regular meeting at least every odd-numbered month of the year, but shall meet at least once each quarter of the calendar year. These meetings shall be held in Austin, Texas, or under exceptional circumstances in Huntsville, Texas (Section 492.006, Texas Government Code and the General Appropriations Act). If the TBCJ uses videoconference technology to convene a meeting, at least three (3) members must convene at the Austin videoconference site, or under exceptional circumstances, the Huntsville videoconference site. The other members may convene using the technology from remote sites.

(3) The agenda for the meetings of the WSD Board shall be set by the Chairman, after consultation with members of the WSD Board and the WSD Superintendent.

(4) A meeting of the TBCJ Education Committee shall be held at a site chosen by the Chairman of the committee. The Chairman of the committee shall set the agenda for the meeting in consultation with the WSD Superintendent. If the committee uses videoconference technology to convene a meeting, at least a majority of a quorum of the committee, such as, two (2) members of a four (4) member committee, must convene in one location, and the other members may convene using the technology from remote sites.

(5) A majority of the WSD Board or the Education Committee constitutes a quorum for the convening of, and transaction of business at, any meeting. A quorum of a committee with two (2) members is two (2).

(6) A quorum of a committee cannot depend on the presence of an advisory member. A non-unanimous vote on an action by a committee cannot be decided by an advisory member.

(7) Meetings of the WSD Board and its committees shall be conducted according to standard parliamentary procedures.

(8) Meetings of the WSD Board and its committees are governed by the Texas Open Meetings Act (Chapter 551, Texas Government Code).

(9) The WSD Superintendent, in coordination with appropriate TDCJ staff, shall ensure that members are provided with materials necessary to conduct the business of the WSD Board well in advance of any meeting.

(10) The WSD Superintendent, in coordination with appropriate TDCJ staff, shall ensure that minutes of each meeting are prepared, retained, filed with the Legislative Reference Library, and made available to the public. The minutes shall state the subject matter of each deliberation and shall indicate each vote, order, decision, or other action taken by the WSD Board.

(11) Requests by the public to make presentations to the WSD Board are governed by WSD Board Rule, §300.1 of this title.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on January 16, 2004.

TRD-200400386

Carl Reynolds

General Counsel

Windham School District

Earliest possible date of adoption: March 7, 2004

For further information, please call: (512) 463-0422