Potential obstacles for new board majority

A good knowledge of Robert's Rules of Order might come in handy on the school board for at least the next few months.

Depending on how much the new board minority wants to slow things down, they can use procedural motions to delay changes pushed by the new majority. A lot will fall into the hands of board chairman Kevin Hill, who sets the meeting agendas, fills board committees and handles motions.

Here's an example of how things could go if the new minority wants to hold things up.

The new majority is likely to follow up on its request to stop spending money on Forest Ridge High pending review of alternative sites. But you'll notice that it's not on Tuesday's agenda.

Hill could let it be handled in an informal vote or he could say that an official resolution needed to added to the agenda for a vote. In the past when Ron Margiotta tried to get things on, he was told it would require a two-thirds vote to amend the meeting agenda to add it as an immediate action item.

What Margiotta has usually done in the past is go for the lower threshhold of needing only two votes to have an item added as an information item. It can then be brought up at the next meeting where the chairman can choose to refer the issue to committee before a board vote. That can be appealed by the rest of the board.

With the Dec. 15 meeting apparently cancelled, the next meeting after Tuesday is Jan. 5. Arguments such as it's too late to pull back from Forest Ridge could be made then.

Now imagine what could happen if similar steps were taken with other changes requested by the new majority.

Even though Margiotta or whoever else is elected the new vice chair has input on the agendas, it's still Hill who makes the call before the meetings. Things would change in June when the new majority would be in a position to pick a new chair.