Board of Education

DUNKIRK CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

DUNKIRK, NEW YORK

We are pleased that you have demonstrated an interest in the education of the students of this School District by attending a Board of Education meeting. We hope that you will continue to attend more of these meetings in the future.

WHAT IS A BOARD MEETING? It is the meeting of the Trustees of your School District for the transaction of the business of the District. It must be conducted in a specified manner because laws and regulations require certain formal actions and procedures. Board Members, as elected officials, must make sure that they complete all of the actions required of them at each meeting.

CAN YOU SPEAK AT THE MEETING? Yes.  Although meetings are busy sessions, the Board President will be glad to give you an opportunity to raise a question or to make a brief (three-minute maximum) statement in accordance with Board of Education policy. Please note that two items on the regular meeting agenda offer opportunities for public comments. During the early part of the meeting, only questions or comments pertaining to the evening’s specific agenda items are permitted. Later in the meeting, other topics may be raised. Each of the two (2) allotted times during the meeting for public comment are limited to thirty (30) minutes maximum. (Example: Ten (10) people would be allowed to speak for a maximum of three (3) minutes each.)

WHAT IS THE AGENDA? The agenda is the order of business for the meeting. The President may, if it seems suitable, vary the order. The agenda and explanatory material are presented to the individual Board of Education members usually in advance of the meeting and posted on the District website 24 hours in advance of the meeting. This gives the Board members time to study the items before they have to make a decision on them at the regular meeting. Some items on the agenda will have appeared on previous agendas and will have been thoroughly discussed at that time and studied since by Board members. Therefore, action on them may seem “cut and dried” when, in reality, they have been well-considered by the Board members.

WHO ARE THE BOARD MEMBERS? They are unpaid officials elected by the voters to take the formal legal actions and establish the basic policies for the conduct of the schools. The Superintendent is the Chief Executive Officer of the District and is charged with the responsibility of seeing that the Board policies and education laws are adhered to by the staff. The Superintendent reports and makes recommendations to the Board of Education.

We thank you for you interest and hope that you will join us again. If you have any other questions or desire any further explanations, we hope that you will call the appropriate administrator. Any comments or suggestions may also be written on the back of this sheet and given to the deputy clerk before you leave the meeting.