News Briefs

Association of California School Administrators

News Briefs | FYI

July 12, 2021

Public meetings can remain online through Sept. 30

All local government agencies, including school boards, can continue to conduct online public meetings through Sept. 30, 2021, according to a recent client news update from law firm Lozano Smith.

On March 17, 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20. This order allowed local agencies to address emergent pandemic conditions by allowing local officials, and the public, to participate in public meetings via virtual platforms.

With the end of certain COVID-19 related restrictions, questions have arisen as to whether local officials will continue to have flexibility to attend public meetings virtually.

On June 11, 2021, Newsom issued Executive Order N-08-21, which expressly extends the flexibility concerning the conduct of public meetings through Sept. 30.

Ordinarily, board attendance via teleconference is regulated by certain provisions of California’s open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act. During the pandemic, the governor temporarily relaxed these Brown Act requirements.

One unresolved question specific to school board meetings is whether the mask requirement for K-12 school settings applies to board meetings that are held in K-12 facilities. CDC/CDPH guidance currently requires masks for all “indoors in K-12 schools, childcare, and other youth settings.” Unfortunately, the guidance is vague, and does not distinguish one way or the other between operation of schools versus meetings held on school district property that occur after school hours. At this time, there is no definitive answer to this question.

Lozano Smith expects that the issue will be addressed in the future, and note that CDC guidance on K-12 settings is expected to change again before September 30.

As guidance continues to evolve, agencies opting to return to in-person meetings may wish to consult with their County Health Officer and their legal counsel.

Read the full brief at https://www.lozanosmith.com/news-clientnewsbriefdetail.php?news_id=3086.

FYI

Summit Call for Proposals extended to July 19

Add “conference presenter” to your resume — submit a proposal for the 2021 ACSA Leadership Summit, which will be live and in-person Nov. 4-6 in San Francisco. Find suggested topics that align with the conference theme, “Re-Imagining, Re-Inventing, Re-Designing, Through Resilient Leadership” online. Proposals are due July 19, 2021 by 5 p.m. Find the Call for Proposals form at bit.ly/ACSASummit2021.

Share how you lead schools through change

School administrators have done tremendous work this year “Leading Through Change.” Share your experiences on this topic by submitting an article to ACSA’s Leadership Magazine. Articles should be up to 2,500 words and include practical information written in an informal style. Email your article to Naj Alikhan at nalikhan@acsa.org. Deadline is August 9. Find submission details and suggested topics at www.acsa.org/leadershipmagazine.

Earthquake coms toolkit available for educators

The Office of Emergency Services is seeking administrators’ support in informing Californians about no-cost resources from Earthquake Warning California. Earthquake Warning California is the nation’s first publicly available, statewide earthquake warning system. It includes free tools such as the MyShake App, Android Earthquake Alerts, and Wireless Emergency Alerts. OES has created a toolkit for education partners that includes ready-to-use newsletter content, social media text, and graphics to share with families. The toolkit is free and can be accessed at earthquake.ca.gov/toolkit-education-new/.