Reorganizational Meeting Checklist

ANNUAL
SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF EDUCATION
REORGANIZATIONAL MEETING CHECKLIST
(first two weeks in July)

Revised 6/27/2005

The following is an outline and checklist for a school district's annual school board reorganizational meeting. School Districts should ensure that these items are attended to at the upcoming annual school board reorganization meeting held during the first week in July. A list of Dos and Don'ts about the reorganization meeting is included.

I. Administration of Oath

a. Newly Elected Board Members Administer Oath of Faithful Performance in Office to newly elected board members (New York State Constitution, Article XIII-1; Public Officers Law 10,30)

II. Election of Officers

a. President of the Board (Ed. Law 1701, 2504, 2563)

b. Vice President (Ed. Law 1701, 2504)

c. Administer Oath of Faithful Performance in Office to above
(New York State Constitution, Article XIII-1, Public Officers Law 10, 30)

III. Appointment of Officers

a. Clerk of the Board (Ed. Law 2114, 2130, 2503, Comm's Reg. 170.2)

b. District Treasurer (Ed. Law 2114, 1230,2503; Comm's Reg. 170.2)

c. Deputy Treasurer (Ed. Law 172

d. Tax Collector (Ed. Law 2101, 2114, 2130, 2506; Comm's Reg. 170.2; Town Law 37)

e. (Internal) Claims Auditor (Ed. Law 1709-20a, 2526; Comm's Reg. 1702)

f. Attendance Officer (Ed. Law 3213)

g. Administer Oath of Faithful Performance in Office to above
(New York State Constitution, Article XIII-1; Public Officers Law 10,30)
NOTE: The Superintendent may want to take the Oath annually at this time.

IV. Other Appointments

a. School Physician (Ed. Law 902, 1709-21; Comm's Reg, 136.2)

b. School Attorney

c. Census Enumerator (Ed Law 3242 (Implied))

d. Central Treasurer for Extraclassroom Activity Fund (Law 2503; Comm's Reg. 172.4)

e. School Dentist (Ed. Law 902)

f. Independent Auditor (Ed. Law 2116-a: Comm's Reg. 170)

g. Records Access Officer (Public Officers Law 87 (b) (ii))

h. Records Management Officer (Comm's Reg. 185.2 (a) (1))

i. Asbestos (LEA) Designee (AHERA, Public Law 99-519)

j. Purchasing Agent (Comm's Reg. 170.2
(May be the School Business Administrator)

k. Representative to Worker's Compensation Consortium Board of Directors
(May not exist in all school districts)

l. Designated Educational Official to receive court records and coordinate student's participation in programs (SAVE Legislation, Uniform Violence Reporting and NCLB)

m. Representative to School and Municipal Energy Cooperative Board of Directors
(May not exist in all school districts)

n. Representative to Cooperative Medical Benefits Group Board of Directors
(May not exist in all school districts)

V. Designations

a. Name Official Bank Depository, All Funds (Ed. Law 2129,2130, Comm's Reg. 1.70.2) The Official Depositories may include all banks active in the governmental market (such as, M & T Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Citizens Bank, Bank of America, Key Bank and HSBC) to allow the district to pursue CDs with the highest interest rates with all available banks.

b. Set Regular Meetings (Ed. Law 1708 (at least once in each quarter), 2504)

c. Name Official Newspapers (Ed. Law 2004; General Municipal Law 103)

VI. Authorizations

a. Person to Certify Payrolls (Ed. Law 1720, 2523; Comm's Reg. 1702)
(Usually the Superintendent of Schools)

b. Person to approve Conferences, Conventions, Workshops Attendance (General Municipal Law 77b) (Usually the Superintendent of Schools)

c. To establish Petty Cash Funds (Ed. Law 1709-29; Comm's Reg. 1704)

d. Designation of Signatures on Check (Ed. Law 1720, 2523)

e. Budget Transfers on Chief School Officer's approval (Comm's Reg. 170.2)

f. Superintendent to apply for Grants in Aid - State and Federal (Ed. Law 1711,2508)

g. BOE authorization for Superintendent to employ part-time and temporary
help within budget allocations (May not occur in all school districts)

h. BOE authorization of all Extraclassroom Activity Clubs (new in 2004)
(May not occur in all school districts)

VII. Official Undertakings (Bonds)

a. District Clerk (Ed. Law 2527, City Districts with no auditor)

b. District Treasurer (Ed. Law 2122, 2130, 2527; Comm's Reg. 170.02

c. Deputy Treasurer (Ed. Law 1720)

d. District Tax Collector (Ed. Law 2124,2527; Comm's Reg. 170.02)

e. Central Treasurer Extraclassroom Activity Funds (Comm's Reg. 172.5)

f. (Internal) Claims Auditor (Ed. Law, 2527: Comm's Reg. 170.2)

g. All persons and positions required by law or regulation to be bonded

(Public Officers Law, Section 11, and Comm's Reg. 170.2 permit use of a Faithful Performance Blanket Bond in lieu of specific official undertakings; virtually all school districts and BOCES take this approach. Rule of thumb: (i) Tax Collector bonded for 100% of property tax receipts; (ii) District Treasurer bonded for 15% of General Fund budget; (iii) Business Administrator bonded for $1 million

h. Athletic Director

VIII. Other Items

a. Adoption of all Policies and Code of Ethics in effect during previous year (implied in Ed. Law 1709, 2503)

b. Establish Mileage Reimbursement Rate: Ed. Law 2118 (may be IRS rate)

c. Motion to allow partial payments of real property taxes (Local Law 17 of 1993)

d. Set clerical subs, teacher aid subs salary and monitor's salary

e. Set the school breakfast and lunch prices (new in 1995-1996)

f. Motion to allow participation in SOCES and other governmental agencies cooperative bidding

Reorganization Meeting Dos and Don'ts

DO

1. Check the oath to ensure it conforms to Article XIII-1.

2. Make certain the person administering the oath countersigns it.

3. Make certain all board officers (including superintendent) as well as newly elected members of the board take an oath each year.

4. Appoint a deputy treasurer.

5. Include the stipend, if any, in the appointing motions.

6. Include the amount of the bond they are to obtain in the appointment motion for the treasurer, deputy treasurer, tax collector, extraclassroom activity fund treasurer and internal claims auditor.

7. Make certain someone is authorized to certify payrolls.

8. Designate a purchasing agent.

9. Indicate the person responsible and the amount when establishing a petty cash fund.

10. Designate the signature of the treasurer on all school district checks.

11. Adopt all previous policies.

12. Establish the mileage reimbursement rate for use during the fiscal year when appropriate staff use their own vehicles on official business.

13. Authorize the superintendent to make budget transfers.

14. Authorize the superintendent to approve the attendance of staff to conferences.

15. Properly label this meeting as the "Reorganizational Meeting."

16. Set the meeting dates for regular meetings throughout the year.

17. Designate the bank or banks where the treasurer will deposit district monies for the fiscal year.

18. Designate the official newspaper or newspapers where official district notices will be published for the fiscal year.

19. Adopt all cooperative bid resolutions.

20. Do add a third person in-charge for rare occasions Board of Education President and Vice President are not at Board of Education meetings.

21. Do include a sample resolution for authority to borrow funds.

DON'T

1. Don't hold the reorganization meeting before July 1 or after July 15 (unless you have a city district of over 125,000)

2. Don't allow newly elected board members to vote until they have taken their oath.

3. Don't close the organizational meeting and then open a regular meeting immediately following - it is all one meeting.

4. Don't use titles for board officers, which are not in law or regulation (e.g. alternate treasurer or substitute internal claims auditor)

5. Don't forget to add the words "with expenses" when recording a motion authorizing members of the board to attend conferences and conventions.

6. Don't organize the minutes from back to front - they should read like a book.

7. Don't forget that law and regulations are constantly changing which may change the format of the reorganization meeting – check