Montana Code Annotated
Part 3. School District Trustees
20-3-322. Meetings and quorum

20-3-322. Meetings and quorum. (1) The trustees of a district shall hold at least the following number of regular meetings:
(a) an organization meeting, as prescribed by 20-3-321;
(b) a final budget meeting, as prescribed by 20-9-131; and
(c) (i) in first-class elementary districts, not less than one regular meeting each month; or
(ii) in any other district, regular meetings at least quarterly.
(2) (a) The trustees of the district shall adopt a policy setting the day and time for the minimum number of regular school meetings prescribed in subsection (1)(c)(i) or (1)(c)(ii) and, in addition, any other regular meeting days the trustees wish to establish. Except for an unforeseen emergency or as provided in subsection (2)(b), meetings must be conducted in school buildings or, upon the unanimous vote of the trustees, in a publicly accessible building located within the district.
(b) This section does not prohibit the trustees from meeting outside the boundaries of the school district for collaboration or cooperation on educational issues with other school boards, educational agencies, or cooperatives. Adequate notice of the meeting as well as an agenda must be provided to the public in advance. Decisionmaking may occur only at a properly noticed meeting held within the school district's boundaries.
(3) Special meetings of the trustees may be called by the presiding officer or any two members of the trustees by giving each member a 48-hour written notice of the meeting, except that the 48-hour notice is waived in an unforeseen emergency or to consider a violation of the student code of conduct, as defined in accordance with district policy, within a week of graduation.
(4) Business may not be transacted by the trustees of a district unless it is transacted at a regular meeting or a properly called special meeting. A quorum for any meeting is a majority of the trustees' membership. All trustee meetings must be public meetings, as prescribed by 2-3-201, except that the trustees may recess to an executive session under the provisions of 2-3-203.
(5) For the purposes of this section, "unforeseen emergency" means a storm, fire, explosion, community disaster, insurrection, act of God, or other unforeseen destruction or impairment of school district property that affects the health and safety of the trustees, students, or district employees or the educational functions of the district.
History: En. 75-5930 by Sec. 59, Ch. 5, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 75-5930; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 154, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 50, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 211, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 467, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 86, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 438, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 444, L. 2009.

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