I understand the need for private sessions when it comes to student expulsions or similar proceedings where confidentiality is necessary. There are just too many back-room meetings that the voting public should be in on. Unfortunately, this isn't something unique to school boards, but the kids are the ones to suffer the most in this case. It's good to hear about school boards involving the community in it's decision-making process. It's easier to live with cut-backs if you have a say in them.

Or school boards do they public mtg... "Oh now we have to go in private session", for an hour because we cant let anyone know what we're discussing.

Dont quite understand the school board processes yet, not surre I ever will.

I should have commented more earlier....
When our school district was facing huge budget cuts, they put forth a list of possible areas to cut and then each school board member put together there list of absolute "no" items and a proposed cut list. They also asked for public input and held several public forums where people could voice their ideas and opinions. While no one was perfectly happy with the final results, it gave the board and administration a chance to hear from the public and made parents feel like they at least had a say in the process. So it can be done-don't let anyone tell you it can't.

Sounds like here in Sunny Califronia, the "Governator" has ticked of the teachers (some dederved, some not) and now they're playing 'he said, she said' ad campaigns to get the $$ back and the tenured teachers program back.

LAUSD is a freaking joke and mess, the governor is trying to fix it (I hope) and instead of coming up with reasonable solutions, all anyone wants to do is whine, bitch and complain (couldnt they use the millions in badmouth ad $$ for better use)

I feel for ya.

I agree wholeheartedly with you! Why some school boards keep unpopular decisions under wraps until they can vote them in, is beyond me. They obviously know there will be a groundswell of oppostion to their changes, or they wouldn't feel the need to keep it quiet. If only (OK, now my Pollyanna hat is on) they would publish their meeting agendas a week or so ahead of time, they would not meet with irate parents--only unhappy ones--at their next meeting. No one likes to feel that someone is trying to put one over on them. Hopefully, if cuts are really necessary, COMPROMISE could be reached on where those cuts are to be made. Somehow things don't always seem to work out in favor of the most helpful programs. Do what you can to educate the parents in your school district about what is going on and know that there are a lot of other parents out here pulling for you!

Budget cuts are affecting every school district in our area. It's really scary. It also makes people really mad in our district to see teachers and other valuable staff losing their jobs and then see the salaries some of the administrators get paid-it's a real sore spot.

coyotemom,
Does your school district not realize who "signs" their paychecks? That's right, it's you the taxpayer and you have EVERY right to know about every financial decision being made. Keeping it all under wraps is completely unacceptable and you should let your school district administrator and school board know that in no uncertain terms. Go get 'em!!!!