(a) General. This section establishes operating procedures for the Windham School District (WSD) Board of Trustees (board) to conduct business.

(b) Organization.

(1) The Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) serves as the WSD board, pursuant to Chapter 19, Texas Education Code. The TBCJ is a nine member body appointed by the governor to oversee the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The TBCJ chairman, who serves as the board chairman, is designated by and serves at the request of the governor pursuant to Texas Government Code §492.005.

(2) The board operates utilizing the same officers and structure established by the TBCJ.

(3) The chairman, on behalf of the board, is empowered to appoint members of the board to be members or chairs of standing or limited-purpose committees, or to serve as liaisons to the WSD on particular subject areas within the WSD's jurisdiction. The purpose of a committee, if appointed, is to have certain members become particularly familiar with various issues and to facilitate discussion and recommend potential strategies as appropriate.

(c) Meetings.

(1) The board shall hold its regular meetings in conjunction with those of the TBCJ.

(2) The TBCJ and the board shall attempt to hold a regular meeting at least every other month of the year, but shall meet at least once each quarter of the calendar year pursuant to Texas Government Code §492.006. Special called meetings can be held at the discretion of the board chairman.

(3) Meetings shall be held in Austin or Huntsville, Texas. If the board uses video conference technology to convene a meeting, at least one conference site must be located in Huntsville or Austin. To convene a video conference meeting, a quorum of the board must be present at one of the video conference sites. The other members may convene using the technology from remote sites.

(4) The agenda and date for the board meetings shall be set by the board chairman in consultation with the WSD superintendent.

(5) The agenda for committee meetings shall be set by the board chairman in consultation with the committee's chairman and the WSD superintendent. If the board committee uses video conference technology to convene a meeting, at least one conference site must be located in Huntsville or Austin. To convene a video conference meeting, a quorum of the committee must be present at one of the video conference sites. The other member(s) may convene using the technology from remote sites.

(6) A majority of the board, or of a committee of the board, constitutes a quorum for the convening of and transaction of business at any meeting. A quorum of a committee with two members consists of both members.

(7) Meetings of the board and its committees shall be conducted according to standard parliamentary procedures.

(8) Board meetings are governed by the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code §§551.001 - .146.

(9) The WSD superintendent, in coordination with appropriate TDCJ staff, shall ensure members are provided the materials necessary to conduct the business of the board and its committees well in advance of the meetings.

(10) The WSD superintendent, in coordination with appropriate TDCJ staff, shall ensure the minutes of each meeting are prepared, retained, and filed with the Legislative Reference Library, and made available to the public. The minutes shall state the subject matter of each deliberation and shall indicate each vote, order, decision, or other action taken by the board.

(11) Requests by the public to make presentations or comments to the board are governed by 19 Texas Administrative Code §300.1, pursuant to Texas Government Code §492.007 and §551.042.

(12) The board shall approve meeting minutes for any committees deleted, renamed, or for which their limited-purpose has concluded.

(13) Prior to each regularly scheduled meeting, the board shall offer the opportunity for: (A) The WSD superintendent to present any item relating to the WSD as determined by the superintendent or the board chairman. (B) The board chairman to present any item relating to the board or the WSD as determined by the board chairman in consultation with the WSD superintendent.

Source Note: The provisions of this §300.2 adopted to be effective April 22, 2004, 29 TexReg 3790; amended to be effective October 7, 2007, 32 TexReg 6782; amended to be effective May 13, 2012, 37 TexReg 3408; amended to be effective January 1, 2017, 41 TexReg 10333