Imagine a bustling school district meeting on a fall evening. The room is filled with the school board members, each taking their seats around a long, polished table. The walls are adorned with plaques and certificates, a testament to the district's long-standing commitment to education.

The board secretary, a seasoned professional with a keen eye for detail, sits ready to capture the essence of the meeting in the minutes. The air is charged with a mix of anticipation and responsibility, as the board is about to discuss critical decisions that will shape the future of the district. As the meeting begins, the secretary meticulously records the date, time and attendees, setting the stage for a thorough and legally compliant record of the proceedings.

At every board meeting, the board secretary or other administrator is tasked with an action that might seem simply routine or even mundane. However, your school board’s reputation and legal standing hinge on this task: recording meeting minutes. School board meeting minutes serve as the official records of school board meetings and provide public access to the actions of the governmental body. In this article, you will learn:

The key purposes of school board meeting minutes serve

The various state laws that govern board meeting minutes

The role of accessibility and transparency in compliance efforts

The legal requirements for school board meeting minutes are extensive and imperative. The minutes of school board meetings become historical records; therefore, they must serve as clear and precise accounts of board meetings. In litigation, courts have found meeting minutes to be conclusive evidence of what transpired at a meeting or what action was taken by the board.

State requirements for school board minutes

Regulations regarding meeting minutes are often part of the state’s open meeting laws. Some specify precisely what the minutes should contain. Others allow boards to decide the content of the minutes. It is critical that the school board, especially the recording secretary, is aware of any state and local legal requirements.

Here are examples of state laws for school board minutes:

 requires the district superintendent to keep minutes and records of the meeting, which “set forth clearly all actions and proceedings of the school board.” The minutes are public record must be stored in a permanent location. The contents must show the vote of each member present on all matters, and the board members are responsible to ensure their votes are properly recorded in the minutes.

 doesn’t specify the content of board’s minutes. However, in a 1996 court case, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled that minutes should allow individuals who did not attend the meeting would understand the board’s actions and the reasoning behind those actions. 

 requires that the minutes include the date, time, and place of the meeting, the members recorded as either present or absent and whether the members were physically present or present by means of video or audio conference; and a summary of the discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated or decided, and a record of any votes taken. The also requires only a summary and not a verbatim account, including only general comments, not quotations. 

 requires that all motions and roll call votes be recorded, preserved, and open to public inspection under the state Public Records Law. This applies to open and closed sessions of the meeting.

 law states that “minutes of a meeting of any such governmental body shall be promptly and fully recorded, shall be open to public inspection, and shall include, but not be limited to, a record of persons present, all motions, proposals and resolutions offered, the results of any votes taken, and a record of individual votes in the event of roll call.” 

For most school boards, meeting minutes may follow this format:

This is essential to record that a quorum was present, and the presiding board member has opened the meeting. Acknowledging that the quorum has been met and the meeting opened is crucial when aligning with legal requirements.

Names of the meeting participants and absentees.

Corrections and amendments to previous meeting minutes.

The draft minutes from the previous meeting should be made accessible to all present parties for review and approval. This provides an opportunity to make any corrections to the minutes for the previous meeting. Distributing hard copies of the minutes and allowing for time to read them during the meeting can waste time. Using a board portal will allow for easy access to previous meeting minutes for review before the upcoming meeting.

This may vary by the district and/or state. Some policies or regulations do not allow for business to be added to an agenda at the board meeting.

Record any results of voting, and that a motion and a second was made.

Board management software allows for votes to be tracked in real time through the software. Electronic voting options are also available.

Actions taken or actions that need to be taken.

Items that were held over or unfinished business.

This may vary by state; in some states, every agenda item must be addressed and therefore cannot be any unfinished business from the board meeting.

New business is typically only used for board members to bring up items to place on a future agenda. For most states, the public should always be made aware of new business items.

The presiding officer can remind others of the next meeting or events, review any assigned tasks or business, and then adjourn the meeting.

How the recording secretary describes the conversations and discussions during a school board meeting is as important as making sure that all of the materials and information from the meeting agenda is included. Meeting minutes will give the local community and others a view of the board’s goals, plan and the work already being done.

State laws govern the specificity of meeting minutes. In general, minutes do not need to be verbatim recordings, but they should be thorough and precise to fulfill board meeting minutes legal requirements.

Chandu Vemuri, Executive Assistant for Board and Superintendent Leadership, Sun Prairie Area School District, Wisconsin, explains, “We have been told by our counsel that our minutes should only reflect the motions/actions taken at a meeting, who made the motion, who seconded and how the vote went. Was it just a voice vote or was it a roll call and then to reflect if it was roll call, who voted yes or not. I never summarize public comments or board member discussions so that I am not putting my take on anything they said. That is the reason we livestream and record our meetings but I know other states may have different requirements.”

For each agenda item, write a brief, concise statement for each action that is taken by the board, with a short explanation that provides the rationale for the school board’s decision. Each board member’s vote should be recorded.

If there are any lengthy or thorough discussions, write a brief summary of the major arguments or points. Note that some states don’t require notes of discussions if the board did not vote on the issue.

For legal requirements to be met, it is imperative that minutes serve as unbiased, objective records of the meeting. Conversations or arguments that occur at the school board meeting should be recorded objectively. The recording secretary should avoid any remarks or personal observations that could be seen as subjective or prejudice.

It should be habit and routine to review the school board meeting minutes to check language to be sure that it is clear and complete. Leveraging the right school board management software, your school board meeting minutes can be easily tracked and adjusted as needed.

Our free downloadable checklist helps public education board administrators ensure that every meeting’s minutes are concise, clear and compliant with all necessary regulations.

Meeting minutes made easy

Complying with legal requirements for accessibility and transparency

Knowing how to write minutes of a meeting is a vital skill for school boards. Another important issue related to meeting minutes is the accessibility of past school board meeting minutes.

Access is not just imperative to informing the public and maintaining transparency. Meeting minutes are also a part of the official public record. Just as meetings are required to be made public (check your state’s Sunshine Laws for details regarding these requirements), meeting minutes must be made available for public review. Some laws require boards to maintain a permanent place to store past minutes.

Board management software, like Diligent Community, helps school boards comply with meeting minutes legal requirements regarding accessibility. With the right technology that offers a centralized platform for information, individuals can view the meeting minutes and any documents related to the meeting.

“We are excited to be using Diligent Community. Many times, I have had to look back at old meeting recordings to make sure that my notes correctly reflect the action taken. To have the ability to have the recording connected right to the meeting within the platform is so helpful and the ability to have timestamps on agenda items so I can easily just go to the part of the meeting I need. It is such an efficiency when we have so many other things on our plate.” - Chandu Vemuri, Executive Assistant for Board and Superintendent Leadership, Sun Prairie Area School District, Wisconsin

The board can also set up customized access settings for the minutes and related materials, so the public view of the meeting minutes may be different than the view for school board members or administrators.

School board meetings might have additional materials distributed to board members or attendees. Additional documents and materials are a part of the minutes according to some states’ board meeting minutes legal requirements. These documents can be attached to the school board meeting agenda and minutes, then these materials can be searchable through the 

For some states, video or audio recordings are a part of the legal requirements for board meeting minutes. If the board records meetings through video or audio, the footage of meetings can also be attached to minutes. All these documents and files can be easily distributed to board members and other pertinent parties.

How Diligent Community can help with your compliance

Knowing and understanding your school board meeting minutes legal requirements can be an extensive undertaking. However, it is vital to be abreast of these regulations to maintain accurate records for the district and transparency with the public.

Many boards find that leveraging a tool, like cloud-based software from 

, makes recording and having access to school board meeting minutes easy and efficient, ultimately improving the performance of the school board. Recording the school board meeting minutes and managing and maintaining those minutes is a serious task, but using the right tool can make it easier to achieve. When you use Livestream Manager for Diligent Community for streaming your public meetings, the AI-Supported Minutes feature will quickly and accurately capture key points aligned with the time-stamped video.

 can help your board with meeting minute requirements. 

What are the legal requirements for school board meeting minutes?

At our recent Breakfast Briefing, "Governance Transformed: AI’s Impact on Boards and Governance Leaders," we brought together board members, company secretaries, and governance professionals to explore the transformative potential and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence into boardroom practices.

, the session offered valuable insights into how AI can enhance governance, risk management, and compliance. Here, we explore takeaways from the session, focusing on the risks and challenges associated with AI in the boardroom.

Learn more about how AI is transforming corporate governance in our comprehensive guide.

Enhance board management with AI

Our panel of experts shared numerous opportunities for significantly enhancing boardroom operations through AI. Here are some actionable insights based on their perspectives:

Reduced risk through proactive management:

 AI can enhance risk management by providing real-time data and predictive analytics. As Dr Allen highlighted, "The risk level of an AI drives the way you treat it.” By implementing AI tools that can identify potential risks before they escalate, boards can take proactive measures. For example, AI can analyse vast amounts of data to detect patterns and anomalies that might indicate emerging risks, allowing boards to act swiftly and mitigate potential issues.

Streamlined meeting documentation for increased efficiency: 

AI can significantly enhance the speed and accuracy of recording meeting minutes, ensuring that all critical points are captured without the need for manual transcription. This not only saves time but also minimises the risk of human error. Through automating the minute-taking process, AI categorises and summarises discussions, making it easier to review and reference past meetings, improving overall meeting efficiency as a result.

Better performance insights for informed decision-making: 

AI can provide real-time insights into director performance, which can be used for board evaluations and individual director assessments. This enhances the integrity and real-time nature of reporting. Johnston emphasised:

"There is definitely an obligation on us to understand what risks these platforms potentially expose the board to." 

Paul Johnston, Associate Director, One Advisory

By using AI-generated insights, boards can make more informed decisions and improve overall governance. AI can also track key performance indicators (KPIs) and generate reports that highlight areas for improvement, ensuring that directors are held accountable and their contributions are accurately assessed.

Data-driven decisions for strategic analysis:

 AI can support decision-making by providing data-driven insights and recommendations. For instance, AI algorithms can analyse market trends, financial data, and other relevant information to help boards make strategic decisions. By leveraging AI to support strategic decision-making, boards can analyse relevant data and receive actionable recommendations, leading to more informed and effective governance.

 are compelling, the challenges of AI adoption in boardrooms are equally significant. Here are some key points to consider:

Board members must understand the technology and its implications to use it effectively. Anderson highlighted this point, stating, "There's a degree of nervousness around the ability of some of the AI to accurately interpret." To address this, investing in training programmes to enhance AI literacy among board members is crucial. This includes understanding how AI works, its potential benefits, and its limitations. Dr Allen emphasised, "Education is key… understanding what AI is, what it isn't, and a little bit about how it works."

Balanced decision-making with AI and human judgement:

 One of the key risks is the over-reliance on AI, which can lead to a loss of critical thinking skills. Borrelli emphasised this risk:

"We need to be really careful of not becoming over-reliant on AI, i.e., outsourcing all of our critical thinking." 

— Michael Charles Borelli , Director, AI & Partners

To ensure robust decision-making, it is important to maintain a balance between AI assistance and human judgement. Boards should encourage members to critically evaluate AI-generated insights and consider multiple perspectives.

 Data privacy and the potential misuse of AI-generated information are significant concerns. Boards must ensure that data is used ethically, and that AI-generated summaries of board meetings or minutes are not misused. Establishing clear guidelines and protocols for data usage and privacy is essential. This includes implementing robust data protection measures and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.

Reduced bias through regular audits and diverse data:

 AI systems can sometimes exhibit biases based on the data they are trained on. Boards need to be aware of this risk and take steps to mitigate it. Regularly auditing AI systems for bias and ensuring that diverse data sets are used for training can help minimise biases and ensure fair outcomes.

AI is gradually making its way into boardrooms, bringing with it a sense of cautious optimism. It is increasingly seen as a valuable tool to enhance governance and decision-making. One of the key benefits of AI is its ability to provide real-time information and improve transparency, especially in compliance and regulatory changes.

However, it is crucial for boards to ensure that their education on AI aligns with their strategic goals and regulatory requirements: "Data cannot be used as an excuse for not using AI. AI is today good enough to deal with any kind of data in any form." This highlights the readiness of AI technology and the need for boards to embrace it while being mindful of the associated risks.

Charting a new course with AI in the boardroom

AI in the boardroom is a powerful tool that can drive business success and enhance governance. However, it requires a balanced approach, with a focus on education, ethical use, and continuous learning. By addressing these challenges, boards can harness the full potential of AI to make more informed and effective decisions.

Learn more about how AI is transforming corporate governance in our comprehensive guide. Discover how AI simplifies preparation, tracks performance, and enables data-driven decisions for your board and committee meetings. 

Download now to see how forward-thinking boards are leveraging AI.

Diligent

Blog

What are the legal requirements for school board meeting minutes?

AI in governance: Opportunities and challenges for modern boards

Solutions

Resources

Company

Your Data Matters

Diligent

Blog

What are the legal requirements for school board meeting minutes?

AI in governance: Opportunities and challenges for modern boards

SolutionsSolutions

ResourcesResources

CompanyCompany

Your Data Matters

Solutions

Resources

Company