Board Meetings and Procedures

Public Involvement Encouraged

JMS students presented a video at a 2016 board meeting.

As a public school district, the Johnston Board of Education sees great value in the opinions and feedback of district stakeholders. The public is encouraged to attend Board meetings and share their ideas with the Board. A time is set aside early at each meeting for the purpose of giving the public an opportunity to speak.

The Johnston Board of Education meetings are generally held at 6:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Exceptions are in March, December and July when only one monthly meeting is held, or when the meeting calendar requires adjustments due to conflicts (holidays, scheduled breaks, etc.). Meetings are held at the District Office, 6510 NW 62nd Ave., Johnston, Iowa.

Special meetings may be called to conduct business which cannot be deferred until the next regular session. Public notice of regular or special meetings of the board shall be provided by posting the agenda on the website. Agendas will be posted on the website for public view twenty-four hours prior to a board meeting.

2024-25 Board Meeting Dates

To see a complete meeting listing, including closed, exempt, special, work sessions, and committee meetings, view the eBoards website listing.

Board Meeting Procedures

Formal action on all items under consideration by the Board of Education must be approved during Open Session. Formal action on agenda items demands that a quorum be present (at least four members). The President of the School Board is entitled to vote on all issues. With appropriate public notice, closed (or executive) sessions may be conducted to allow the Board to consider matters listed in Iowa law. Confidential or personnel matters, negotiations strategy, current or imminent lawsuits, and some real estate purchases are among the items which may be discussed in closed sessions. All regular and special meetings are open to the public. Prior to each meeting, a board agenda is placed online for board, administration, staff and public to view.

Minutes of regular meetings and special meetings are recorded by the Board Secretary, who also conducts roll call votes and the annual election of Board officers. Minutes of the previous meetings are provided for each meeting, along with the current agenda. The minutes represent official actions taken by the Board, but do not include verbatim transcripts of conversations and discussions from each meeting. View minutes of past meetings.

General agenda

The prepared agenda generally proceeds as follows:

1. Call to Order
2. Agenda Approval
3. Mission and Vision Statements
4. Pledge of Allegiance
5. Commendations
6. Public Comments
7. Student Report
8. Superintendent’s Report
9. Consent Items
10. Reports
11. Action Items
12. Board President Report
13. Board Committee Reports
14. Communication/Correspondence
15. Upcoming Meetings/Important Dates
16. Adjournment

To be on the agenda

Staff members and citizens of the community who wish to be placed on the agenda to present a recommendation, request, or information must submit a request via phone call at 515-278-0470 or in writing to:

Dr. Nikki Roorda, Superintendent
Johnston Community School District
P.O. Box 10
Johnston, Iowa 50131

Requests should include name, address, telephone number, organization represented, purpose of the presentation and pertinent background information. The request must reach the Superintendent by noon on the previous Wednesday for the upcoming Monday meeting.

Presenting at meetings

Please stand facing the Board, in front of the audience seated. Please state your name, address, and organization you are representing. An additional printed copy of what you present is appreciated by the Board Secretary. Although the Board encourages citizen presentations, it must also be understood that board members may or may not comment or take action immediately on requests. Inquiries are directed to the Superintendent, who will investigate the matter and report as quickly as possible to the citizens and to the Board of Education. If action is called for, the matter will usually be placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the Board of Education.

If you have questions or concerns regarding district matters, it is best to first speak to your child’s classroom teacher or the administrator who is closest to the situation. From there, necessary concerns can be brought to the Superintendent. Any unresolved concerns would thereafter be addressed by the School Board.

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