All city, local and exempted village school district boards of education must conduct an “organizational meeting” during the first fifteen (15) days of January of each year in accordance with R.C. 3313.14. Once the date is established, following a canvas of the members by the Treasurer, public notice of the meeting will be sent in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. The following guidance is intended to assist the Board with compliance applicable to the organizational meeting.

• The Treasurer, a member of the Board of Education or anyone authorized by law to administer an oath may administer the oath of office to a newly elected member as early as January 1 but before he/she may take his/her place on the Board of Education.
• At the organizational meeting, the members of the Board of Education shall elect one of its members as president and one of its members as vice president and both officers shall serve in the capacity for one year.
• At the organizational meeting, the Board of Education must designate the date, location and time for holding regular meetings of the Board of Education for the calendar year. Such meetings must occur at least once every two months. The Board of Education may subsequently change the date, location or time of a scheduled regular meeting, if necessary.
• While not specifically required by law, it is customary for a Board of Education to act on a wide array of measures for the forthcoming year including but not limited to:
  • Appointment of members of the Board of Education to serve as representatives of the Board of Education on other boards (Career Center) and organizations;
  • The creation of the various committees of the Board and the appointment of members of the Board of Education to those committees;
  • The appointment of legal counsel to serve the Board of Education and the Administration (often a Board of Education will designate more than one legal counsel);
  • Approve the membership of the Board of Education in education-related organizations (such as Ohio School Boards Association, etc.); and
  • Address routine financial and procedural matters that may arise during the next calendar year.
• Within fifteen (15) days of taking office a member of the Board of Education must be provided with a copy of the Ohio Ethics Laws and informational material provided by the Ohio Ethics Commission regarding those laws and the enforcement of those laws with a signed receipt by each Board member. R.C. §102.09(D). The provision of this information at the organizational meeting is a suggested practice for all Boards of Education.