9012 BB - Board Member Electronic Communications

Adopted: 5/10/17
Revised: 
 

The County Board of Education (County Board) recognizes that electronic communication provides an efficient and convenient way to communicate and expedite the exchange of information and to help keep the public informed about the goals, programs, and achievements of the County Board.

County Board members shall exercise caution so as to ensure that electronic communications are not used as a means for deliberating outside of an agendized County Board meeting. County Board members shall not, outside of an authorized meeting, use a series of electronic communications of any kind, directly or through intermediaries, to discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the County Board.

County Board members should use San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) email accounts and servers for communications related to County Board business. County Board members may use electronic communications to discuss matters that are outside the jurisdiction of the County Board, regardless of the number of members participating in the discussion; however, SDCOE email accounts and servers should not be used for these communications.

Examples of permissible electronic communications concerning County Board business include, but are not limited to, dissemination of County Board meeting agendas and agenda packets, reports of activities from the County Superintendent of Schools, and reminders regarding meeting times, dates, and places.

County Board members shall ensure that their electronic communications conform to the same standards and protocols established for other forms of communication. A County Board member may respond, as appropriate, to an electronic communication received from a member of the community and should make clear that his/her response does not necessarily reflect the views of the County Board as a whole. As appropriate, complaints or requests for information may be forwarded to the County Superintendent so that the issue can receive proper consideration and be handled through the appropriate SDCOE process. Communication received from the media shall be forwarded to the County Board President and the County Superintendent.

Like other writings concerning County Board business, a County Board member's electronic communication may be subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

Board Bylaw: : 9005, 9010, 9200

Legal Reference:
Education Code
1011
Government Code
6250-6270, 11135, 54950-54963
Court Decisions
City of San Jose v. Superior Court, (2014) 225 Cal.App.4th 75

Management Resources:
The Brown Act: School Boards and Open Meeting Laws, California School Boards Association, rev. 2014: www.csba.org
The Brown Act: Open Meetings for Legislative Bodies, California Attorney General’s Office, 2003: www.oag.ca.gov
Open and Public V: A Guide to the Ralph M. Brown Act, League of California Cities, April 2016: www.cacities.org/Resources/Open-Government