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Public meetings rules are there for a reason By Mail Tribune Editorial Board Jun 08, 2022 12:00 AM A A Charter schools offer a range of alternatives to traditional public schools. They receive public funds under a written agreement with a sponsoring school district or the state Board of Education in which they guarantee certain levels of student performance. In exchange for that guarantee, they are excluded from many statutes and rules that apply to traditional public schools. Many, but not all. Madrone Trail Public Charter School, one of four charter schools sponsored by the Medford School District, is finding that out. The school’s board of directors is in talks with the Oregon Ethics Commission over potential violations of state public meetings law. Specifically, the commission has found the Madrone Trail board may have held an improper closed-door session in January. The Ethics Commission conducted a review after Madrone Trail’s executive director, John Bissey, filed a complaint alleging board members failed to issue a public notice of the meeting 24 hours in advance, took a vote in the closed session and discussed items they were not permitted to. The Ethics Commission review included listening to an audio recording of the meeting and obtained emails between the director and board members. The commission determined that multiple violations may have occurred, but the matter is still under investigation, which can take up to six months. Meanwhile, the commission and the board are in discussions toward a stipulated final order spelling out what board members must do, which could range from more training to fines. The issue that triggered the closed-door meeting was the director’s job performance and how to resolve issues between him and the board chairman. The board earlier this year voted not to extend his contract. The board is well within its rights to review Bissey’s performance and to decide whether to continue to employ him. But there are clear rules governing how public bodies handle such matters. Oregon public meetings law spells out the circumstances under which a body may hold executive sessions and what may be discussed behind closed doors. Evaluating the performance of a chief executive officer is among the specific topics that may be discussed in an executive session. The body in question may discuss such an evaluation, but no vote may be taken. The body must return to open session first. It is the responsibility of board members of any charter school, school district or other public body to know and follow state public meetings rules. The law is in place to make sure members of the public, whose taxes pay for schools and other services, can observe the workings of the government that does the public’s business. If violations of the rules did occur but were inadvertent, more training of current and future board members might be sufficient to address the matter. But if the violations were deliberate, as Bissey alleged in his complaint, the consequences should be more punitive.