Bob Bombast, veteran member of the Nutmeg Board of Education, has been frustrated by the perennial need to reduce the Board’s budget request before submitting it to the Nutmeg Board of Finance and its parsimonious Chair,...more
Last May, the members of the Nutmeg Board of Education voted to extend Mr. Superintendent’s contract for one year, with the result that his contract now extends from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027. However, over the...more
Sometimes we hear that opposites attract, and such was the case between two members of the Nutmeg Board of Education. Board members Penny Pincher and Mal Content rarely see eye to eye on the challenges the Board faces, with...more
In a recent decision, the Public Access Counselor (PAC)—the division of the Attorney General that reviews appeals regarding the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA)—found that a board of...more
We are approaching a time of year where a board of education may have to deal with its long time and (hopefully) beloved superintendent deciding to retire or otherwise move on to another chapter in his or her life. Any...more
A common problem for boards of education is getting enough members in attendance at a board meeting in order to have a quorum (usually, a majority of the board). There may be times when a board member wishes to participate...more
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) issued a revised version of its Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Parent/Guardians with Disabilities shortening the time for response to a student records request unless an...more
One of the most regularly used reasons to enter executive session is to discuss a matter that would result in the disclosure of communications that are privileged by the attorney-client relationship. The agenda item often...more
Generally, Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act [“FOIA”] requires that a public agency preparing an agenda/posting for a meeting ensure that each agenda item is specific enough to apprise the public of the action...more
Our friends over at the EdLawConnectBlog in California published a blog about an interesting case from the Golden State that school leaders from across the country may find interesting. The case addressed whether school...more
ADMINISTRATION - LALI’S LAW (HEROIN CRISIS ACT) - Public Act 99-0480 - Effective Date: September 9, 2015 - School districts, public schools, or nonpublic schools may now authorize a school nurse or trained...more
Earlier this year, the Public Access Counselor (PAC) issued an under-the-radar advisory opinion that could have an impact on responses to Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. According to the non-binding...more
As a self-described FOIA nerd, I have written in these pages about issues pertaining to the effect of the Freedom of Information Act [“FOIA”] on the attorney-client privilege (and vice versa). In a plethora of recent...more
Most public entities are now intimately familiar with the long reach of the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) into the conduct of agency meetings. A recent case from the Freedom of Information Commission (“FOIC”) reminds...more
Often times, I will warn school board members against the use of e-mail to conduct board business. My primary concern is that such e-mails could be deemed to constitute an illegal un-noticed/non-public meeting, in violation...more
When evaluating superintendents of schools, school boards usually seek to synthesize the views of individual board members into a collective voice for the board. In Toensing v. Chairman, All Boards Chairs Committee, Regional...more