The following procedures are applicable to the consideration of a "grievance" by the Board of Education pursuant to a clause in an applicable collective bargaining agreement which authorizes or requires the Board to meet with the grievant/union at a prescribed step of the collective bargaining agreement's grievance procedure. These procedures are intended to provide guidelines to the Board and to the grievant/union, but are subject to Board modification on a grievance-by-grievance basis. These procedures are not intended to prohibit legitimate and necessary presentation of grievances, but rather to create a structure for grievance consideration that is consistent with the applicable collective bargaining agreements and which, therefore, do not allow the grievance procedures to be misused in instances of concerns that are best resolved by other complaint resolution processes offered by the District.

The Board of Education will conduct the grievance proceeding in either open or closed session, at its option, adhering to legal requirements. The Board may limit the amount of time for presentations associated with the grievance by the administration and by the grievant/union. The Board may also limit the number and nature of persons who are present at a closed session consideration of the grievance, again adhering to legal requirements regarding adequate representation. The grievant/union shall present the grievance, followed by the response of the administration. There shall be no cross-examination of presenters. The Board of Education (or, where applicable, legal counsel to the Board) may ask questions pertaining to presentations made or pertaining to other aspects of the grievance. Presentations, including presentation of written material, shall be directly relevant to the grievance and shall not be cumulative. All documents presented to the Board shall also be presented to the other party to the proceeding. Minutes of the proceeding will be taken, including a list with copies of documents submitted for consideration. Records from the proceeding will be kept for the legally required amount of time. The Board and District personnel shall comply with all legal confidentiality requirements. Deliberation by the Board of Education following the presentation(s) shall be conducted solely by the Board (with, where appropriate, legal counsel to the Board). Any Board of Education action taken during deliberation will be recorded. Any decision regarding the grievance shall be reduced to writing and submitted to the administration and grievant/union in conformance with the respective bargaining agreement provisions regarding same.

Adopted 10/10/05