It is the policy of the Seattle School Board that the Secretary of the Board shall cause to have made the minutes of all regular and special Board meetings. Minutes become official after approval by the Board and shall be retained as a permanent record of the district.  The School Board Office shall maintain a “minutes template” to ensure that minutes are comprehensive and shall show:

1. The date, time and place of the meeting;
2. The presiding officer;
3. Members in attendance;
4. Summary of the items discussed during the meeting by Directors and Staff and the results of any voting that may have occurred;
5. Action to recess for executive session with a general statement of the purpose;
6. Time of adjournment;
7. Signature of presiding officer and date minutes approved.

The district records all regular Board meetings. Real-time and on-demand streaming of the meetings are available. For non-regular Board meetings, the Board may direct the Secretary to record the discussion. District recordings shall be maintained for six years or as required by law.

Regular Board Meeting Minutes

Unofficial minutes of regular Board meetings shall be sent to Board members in advance of the next regular meeting of the Board and shall also be available to other interested citizens. Minutes need not be read publicly, provided that members have had an opportunity to review them before adoption.  Approval of the minutes from the previous meeting(s) shall be included on the consent agenda unless removed by a Director.

Board Special Meeting Minutes Unofficial minutes of Board special meetings shall be sent to Board members in advance of the meeting at which they are scheduled to be approved and shall also be available to other interested citizens. Minutes need not be read publicly, provided that members have had an opportunity to review them before adoption. 

If special meeting minutes are to be approved at a regular Board meeting, the approval shall be scheduled in a timely manner and whenever possible for the next regular Board meeting after the special meeting has occurred. They shall be included on the consent agenda unless removed by a Director.

A file of permanent minutes of all Board meetings will be maintained in the School Board Office or in the district’s archives and are to be made available for inspection upon the request of any interested citizen.