Nearly overnight, we’ve gone from being barred from meeting virtually to it being impossible to meet in person.
Even if your state hasn’t yet changed requirements regarding in-person board meetings, it’s time to prepare for what meeting virtually might look like.
How will your board meet virtually?
Choose a tool that allows you to meet online and record your meeting, such as Zoom or freeconferencecall.com.
Zoom is currently free to all k12 schools. Click here for more information.
Tools like Facebook Live or Google Hangouts can also be good options. But make sure you can easily record your meeting and make the recording available to the public.
If you’re unclear about how to use BoardOnTrack with your virtual meeting tool, reach out to our team via live chat, help request, or email.
What if you need to go into executive session when you meet virtually?
Normally, you’d physically get up and go to another room to go into a closed session.
Know, before the meeting, how you’ll use technology to maintain confidentiality and privacy in an executive session.
If you’ve shared an open Zoom link with the public, things that happen on that link are displayed to everybody and will be in the recording.
Create a separate Zoom meeting room for your executive session. You’ll actually log out of your public Zoom meeting link to leave the open session and log into a separate Zoom meeting link to meet in executive session, to maintain that confidentiality.
Almost every state requires a record of what happens in closed sessions. Take minutes. Double check with your state association or your own legal counsel to be sure what rules apply to you.
What if you don’t -- or can’t -- have a quorum?
Board members might suddenly be unable to participate in a meeting -- whether due to family emergency, professional crisis, or their own illness.
Make sure board members know how to RSVP to meetings via BoardOnTrack. You’ll know whether you’ll have a quorum and can decide how to conduct business at the upcoming meeting.
If enough board members get sick, there might be no quorum. In this case, it’s even more important to know the state’s requirements right now:
- If you don’t have a quorum can you vote?
- Would you need to temporarily remove trustees from the board, in order to conduct business?
In general, a quorum will still be required, at least to conduct certain business. Check with your State and/or legal counsel to get the advice that’s specific to your situation.
Note that: should you need help adding or removing board members temporarily within BoardOnTrack, reach out to our team via live chat, help request, or email.
If you can meet, you should meet. Even if it’s a portion of your team, keep doing the work. Even if you can’t vote without a quorum, you can still deliberate, support your CEO, and make progress.
We’re working fast to build new tools, resources, and services to support you as this situation evolves.
Please reach out to us directly with any questions or requests.
Contact us via live chat in the platform, help request, or email
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