Participating in BOE Meetings

Meetings of the Board of Education for the school year are established by the Board of Education annually and posted on the school calendar on the district website, and in the local media. Meetings are typically scheduled on Wednesday evenings, two times per month.

Regular meetings are often scheduled twice a month on Wednesdays. All meetings are listed on the website, posted on the school webpage calendar and publicized throughout the year in the local media. There are audience comment opportunities at each meeting.

The usual order of business at the regular meetings of the Board of Education is as follows: Call to Order, Executive Session (if needed; closed to public), Meeting Reconvened, Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda, Items Removed from Consent Agenda, Report of the Superintendent, Board Committee Reports, Presentation and Discussion, Audience Comments (on Agenda items), Board Comments / New Business, Information, Audience Comments (on Non-Agenda items), Executive Session (if needed; closed to public) and Adjournment.

The agenda is posted on our District Website (www.henhudschools.org) under the Board / BoardDocs tab. The Agenda and supporting documents are available electronically to the Board in advance of the meeting to allow the Board members time to review and study information. Check the agenda regularly for any changes.

The Board places a number of routine items under the title Consent Agenda in order to economize time. These items can be acted on by a single vote of the Board. However, at the request of a Board member, individual items may be removed from the Consent Agenda for a separate vote.

The budget is the financial operating plan for running the school system and the legal basis for establishing the school tax rate. The Board of Education recognizes the importance of having members of the community take an active role in developing the budget and has established a process designed to allow for meaningful community input. Budget meetings begin in January and continue through April.

While the Board welcomes and encourages citizen’s input and suggestions at its meetings, the public is reminded that the Board has expressly limited certain designated matters to Executive Session Meetings defined as confidential by the Open Meeting Laws of the State of New York. Some examples include:

• Matters which will imperil public safety if disclosed, which includes building level safety plans,
• Discussion of proposed, pending, or current litigation,
• Collective negotiations under the Taylor Law,
• Medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment or employment or promotion or demotion or discipline or suspension or removal of a particular person or corporation,
• Proposed acquisition, sale, or lease or real property, securities, only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof.

If you prefer not to comment in public but would still like to have your views known to the Board of Education, or if you were unable to comment at the public meeting due to time constraints, written statements to the Board are welcome.  Written statements can be emailed to: BOE@henhudschools.org  All of the trustees and the Superintendent receive messages sent to this address.  Or they can be sent to the current BOE President's email address; handed to the district clerk at a public meeting; or physically mailed to: Hendrick Hudson Board of Education, 61 Trolley Road, Montrose, NY 10548.  Written statements will not be read out loud for you at the public meeting, unless stated prior to the meeting on the meeting agenda.