Open meeting issues delay votes over pair of agenda items at W’burg school board meeting

The issue of masks has been decided by Gov. Andy Beshear rather than by the Williamsburg Independent School District Board of Education.

Beshear issued a mandate on Tuesday requiring all students, staff and visitors to wear masks when inside schools.

The issue of masks was on the board’s special called meeting agenda Tuesday, but because of an open meetings issue, the vote was postponed to the Aug. 17 regular board meeting.

The board entered executive session for two reasons: the discussion of masks and the filling of a vacant board member seat.

“I need a motion to go into executive, closed session for the purpose of discussing our procedures and also filling the board member empty seat,” stated Board Chair Kim Williams prior to the executive session.

Upon reentering open session, Williams informed the audience that no action would be announced until staff was informed.

When questioned about the exception to the Open Meetings Act that was used to legally talk about mask policy, no exception was given.

After speaking on the telephone with the board’s attorney, Paul Croley, Superintendent Tim Melton told the board that Croley said, “He said, he didn’t see any draw back in us doing it in open session.”

The item was tabled until the next meeting when it could be discussed and voted on in public, but since Beshear has now issued a mask mandate, it is unclear if the vote will take place.

Another open meetings issue was raised when the board declined to announce who it had selected to fill a vacant board seat.

“Frankly, I don’t know how this goes because we don’t have to show our vote, and it has been decided, but we also decided that we need to contact the applicants prior to making it public, and once that is done, we attempted to do that a minute ago and could not reach the two applicants, so as soon as we do we will put it out on social media,” said Williams.

The board was informed that according to the Open Meetings Act, which can be found in the Kentucky Revised Statues in section 61.810, final action must be taken in open session.

When asked if they voted in closed session, Williams stated, “Yes.”

Board member Allan Steely agreed the vote should be public stating, “I think that no final action be taken in closed [session]. No matter, it would have to be approved in public, I think.”

Despite the discussion, the board stated it plans to contact the applicants to inform them of the decision before making the announcement at the next meeting. Whether another vote will be conducted in open session was unclear.

In other business, the board unanimously approved the following:

• A student/parent handbook
• A virtual handbook for 2021-2022 school year
• The creation of two full time substitute teacher positions for the 2021-2022 school year.
• The second reading of the district procedure update – gender and corporal punishment
• Creation of a 4-hour food service worker position for the 2021-2022 school year.