Medford School District 549C
Understanding School Board Meetings
The Medford School Board generally meets in work sessions and regular Board meetings scheduled on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. (occasionally the start time will vary - check the posted agendas for meeting time). Please note: The location for the 2024-25 Board meetings will take place in the Oakdale Middle School Room 230. If the location varies, the new location will be posted on the Board meeting agenda.
Work sessions take place on the first Thursday of the month and regular Board meetings take place on the third Thursday of the month. This schedule sometimes varies, and special meetings are added to the regular schedule as necessary. Closed executive sessions are scheduled to discuss personnel, legal matters, or negotiations, and are not open to the public.
What happens at a Board meeting?
At regular meetings, Board members discuss and vote on Board, committee and administrative recommendations and on items that establish or amend district policy. The Board adopts policies to improve student performance and enhance school programs and acts on matters such as personnel, appropriations, school facilities, and recognition of excellence.
The Board chair conducts meetings using standard parliamentary procedures. Board meetings conform to Oregon’s Public Meetings Law.
Order of Business
- Call to Order
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Special Presentations/Recognition of Excellence
- Adoption of Agenda
- Citizen Comment
- Items for Information and Discussion
- Action Items
- Reports/Comments: Board and Superintendent
Items are not open for discussion by the public. The public is encouraged to ask questions regarding agenda items beforehand by contacting the superintendent’s office at 541-842-3621 or by email to MSDBoardGovernanceTeam@medford.k12.or.us.
Who may speak at a Board meeting? / Citizen Comment Guidelines
Meetings will take place in person. The public is invited to share comments during the designated time on the agenda. If you are interested in providing citizen comments, complete the registration form found here, prior to noon on the meeting date. The registration link will be activated when the meeting agenda has been posted. Citizen Comment is not typically scheduled on the work session agendas, so the registration link will not be available for those meetings. The community has an opportunity to speak in-person (onsite) or using a virtual platform. Please indicate your preference when registering to speak and follow the guidelines presented. If you are unable to attend the meeting, written comments can be emailed to the Board by noon on the meeting date at: citizencomment@medford.k12.or.us. Board members will read the comments prior to the meeting and will acknowledge citizen names into the record for the meeting minutes.
When providing citizen comments to the Board, please start by stating your name, if you are a resident of the district, and the organization you are representing, if any, for the record. Citizen comments are limited to three (3) minutes per person. When addressing the Board, please note that complaints about staff members cannot be discussed in open session and must be handled through a complaint procedure.
Tips for addressing the Board:
- Limit comments to the allotted time (three minutes).
- Identify yourself before speaking.
- Groups representing a common viewpoint are encouraged to select one spokesperson, who may speak for longer than the allotted time at the discretion of the Board Chair.
The public may also view the School Board meetings via the following link:
What topics are appropriate?
Your testimony is most effective when addressed to specific agenda items or matters of general concern. District staff can usually address other information, questions, or problems.
Individual problems and complaints
To ensure due process and respect for individual rights, the district maintains a formal process for handling complaints against individuals. A problem involving an individual or specific incident is best handled through administrative channels, with the Board as a source of appeal only beyond the superintendent level. Board members will likely not respond to personal or personnel complaints during a Board meeting. Rather, they will ask that the formal process for complaints be used.
Can the Board answer me today?
If the question can be answered immediately, it will be. However, most issues before the Board are too complex to be resolved at the first hearing. When matters of broad public concern are involved, the Board needs sufficient time to study all aspects and listen to the ideas of others. Action will occur as promptly as careful consideration allows.