CBoard Member Attendance to District and Other Events

Background Information:

The question has come up again regarding what constitutes an open meeting of the school board.  When asked (during the December 2017 AASB Executive Administrative Assistant Conference) about board member attendance to AASB conferences, district meetings and other events, Jermain, Dunnagan and Owens attorney, Michael Caulfield offered the following:

Under AS 44.62.310(h)(2)(A), a “meeting” means a gather of members of a governmental body when, “more than three members or a majority of the members, whichever is less, are present, a matter upon which the governmental body is empowered to act is considered by the members collectively, and the governmental body has the authority to establish policies or make decisions for a public entity.”
Because a school board is not considering a matter upon which it is empowered to act at a graduation, basketball game, or other social event, the gathering would not be a “meeting” under the Open Meetings Act. As advised at the conference, there is no prohibition on the board’s attendance. Of course, it is important the board refrain from collectively discussing matters before the board at these events.

Holly Montague, borough attorney, states that meetings which are "educational and collegial in nature rather than leading to a specific decision for our board... would not need to be advertised." (e.g. AASB conferences)

As always, when three or more board members are gathered, they must governed themselves and not discuss any matter upon which the Board is empowered to act.