BDA-1

Broadcasting/Taping of Board Meetings

Televising Rochester School Board Meetings

I. Purpose

The School Board of SAU 54, the Rochester Public Schools, believes that communications with the many varying constituencies that the school district serves is very important. Televising school board meetings is one of the methods of communication available to the Board. Televising is intended to provide additional information to the community's citizens while also increasing the school district's visibility in the community.

II. General Statement of Policy

It shall be the policy of the Rochester School Board that its regular, special and committee meetings be broadcast and digitally recorded for the education and information of the community's citizenry. The digital recording is for information only and is not part of the official record of the School Board's proceedings. There shall normally be no editing of the School Board meetings, other than to add titles or credits. If editing is deemed to be in the public or school district interest, the edited version shall receive approval of the School Board prior to the broadcast of the edited version.

III. Official Record

The official record of the Rochester School Board is the School Board meeting minutes as recorded and submitted by the Clerk of the School Board for the approval of the School Board at a subsequent Board meeting. The digital recording and its contents are the property of the school district.

IV. Availability of Electronic Media

Recordings of school board meetings will normally be available for public download and viewing on the Rochester School Department web site.

A copy of a digital recording shall be made by an authorized school employee or designee. The cost of such copy shall be paid by a requesting person and the cost shall reflect first, the hourly rate for a school employee or authorized person, second, the district's administrative cost, and third, the cost of materials used to make the videotape. Payment shall be rendered before the copy is released.

V. Malfunctions and Omissions

The broadcasting and re-broadcasting processes are comprised of and dependent upon human and mechanical interactions and as well as supportive systems. The system that the School District uses has no backup or alternate power sources.

It is acknowledged that the audio equipment may record imperfectly. Speakers may not speak directly into microphones and, since it is not possible to monitor voice transmission, it will not be known whether or not the voice recording has captured the speaker's words.

In the event of a power failure, equipment malfunction, operator error, or the quality of the videotape, the school district will not be responsible for videotaping the meeting.

Adopted: March 12, 2009

Amended: April 12, 2012