Board of Education Meeting Policies and Information

Our Mission:

Building Community

We build and foster relationships among students, parents and guardians, staff members,and community members around shared interests and goals.

We create communities in classrooms, within grade levels and school buildings, on athletic teams, and during co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

We contribute to the strengthening of the overall Lebanon City and Warren County communities as we prepare graduates for college and careers. To that end, we partner with community leaders, business owners, and area colleges and universities.

WE BELIEVE:

1. All students deserve rigorous, diverse programs integrated with technology.
2. Highly-trained, highly-valued teachers and staff who reflect the values of the community are pivotal to the success of our students and the continuous improvement of our district.
3. Safe, secure, healthy, and caring learning environments foster the best experiences for our students.
4. Maximizing each student’s potential enables success in college or competitive employment after high school.
5. The Lebanon community deserves an educational system of which it can be proud. Providing a thorough educational experience for students while demonstrating fiscal stewardship is an important community value.
6. Family and community involvement enriches the school experience.

When the School Board Meets

The board establishes dates for its regular meetings for the year at its organizational meeting in January. Additional meetings are held as needed. Meeting dates and locations vary. To confirm a board meeting or to obtain a list of regularly scheduled meetings, contact the school board of education office at (513) 934-5770. Special meetings may be called by the Board President, Treasurer or any two members of the Board, with two days notification to the public and media. All regular and special meetings are open to the public. By law, the Board may also hold executive sessions, which are closed to the public. While no official action may be taken during executive sessions, the Board may consider personnel issues, the purchase or sale of property, details of security arrangements, matters required to be kept confidential by federal law or state statue, negotiations or to hold a conference with an attorney, a member of the Office of the State Auditor or an appointed certified public accountant.

Agenda for Regular Meetings

• Call to Order
• Pledge to the Flag
• Roll Call
• Adoption of the Agenda
• Hearing of the Public on Agenda Items
• Approval of Minutes
• Financial Reports
• Communications
• Old Business
• New Business
• Hearing of the Public on Non-Agenda Items
• Adjournment

Responsibilities of the Board of Education

The Board of Education consists of five citizens who are elected by a nonpartisan ballot and who each serve a four-year term. The Board functions as a policy-making body and establishes goals to:

• concentrate the Board’s collective effort on its policy-making and planning responsibilities;
• formulate Board policies which best serve the educational interests of each student;
• provide the Superintendent with sufficient and adequate guidelines for implementing Board policies;
• maintain effective communication with the school community, the staff and students;
• allow those responsible for carrying out objectives to contribute to their formation;
• conduct Board business openly, soliciting and encouraging broad-based involvement in the decision-making process by public, students and staff; and,
• periodically review its performance relative to the goals.

Speaking Before the Board

The Lebanon City School Board of Education encourages and welcomes communication from residents of our community. Any individual who wants to address the Board during a meeting must sign in prior to the meeting with the attending school official. The sheet will be available from 20 to five minutes prior to the meeting. Individuals have two opportunities during the board meeting to comment on matters of concern excluding personnel items. Anyone who would like to speak on a specific agenda item can do so under item V. Other concerns should be addressed under item XI. Comments made should not involve personnel issues and are limited to five minutes per person or 30 minutes total. Speakers will be recognized by the Board President and must state his/her name and address. The presiding officer may interrupt, warn or terminate a participant’s statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed or irrelevant. An adjournment of the meeting can be called if there is a lack of orderly conduct. Videotaping and audio taping of the school board meeting are permitted as long as all parties involved have been informed and that persons operating the electronic devices do so with minimum disruption to those present at the meeting. The Board has the right to halt any recording that interrupts or disturbs the meeting.

Superintendent's Role

The Superintendent of Schools is employed by the Lebanon City School Board of Education to carry out policies and to administer the district’s educational programs. The superintendent is responsible for curriculum, staffing, evaluation and other educational services. The superintendent is not a member of the board, but reports all information to board members.

Treasurer's Role

The treasurer is employed by the Lebanon City School Board of Education to administer, in cooperation with the superintendent, the financial and legal business of the school district. The treasurer is not a member of the board, but reports all information to school board members.