North Thurston Public Schools policy requires board secretary to record and retain meeting minutes

North Thurston Public Schools’ Policy 1450 requires the Board Secretary to record the minutes of all Board meetings, says when minutes become official and sets retention rules for verbatim records.

The policy states that minutes become official after approval by the Board and must be maintained as the district’s permanent record. It requires that minutes show the date, time and place of the meeting; the presiding officer; members in attendance; items discussed and the results of any voting; any action to recess for an executive session with a general statement of purpose; and the time of adjournment.

The Board may direct the Secretary to record discussions verbatim when issues require detailed records. The policy requires such verbatim records be retained on file for six years; other verbatim records of a meeting must be destroyed after the minutes have been approved. The policy also states unofficial minutes shall be delivered to Board members in advance of the next regularly scheduled meeting and shall be available to interested citizens. Minutes need not be read publicly provided members have had an opportunity to review them before adoption.

The document cites state legal references for superintendent duties and meetings (RCW 28A.400.030 and RCW 42.32.030) and records the policy’s adoption date (Nov. 18, 1985) and an amendment (Jan. 19, 2010). The policy is issued by the North Thurston Public Schools Board of Directors.