Board of Education

View Board of Education agendas and minutes on BoardDocs

Board Meetings & Work Sessions

The Board of Education meets twice monthly for work sessions and meetings that are usually held on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. All work sessions and meetings are open to the public. View the Board of Education meeting and work session schedule and archived minutes here. The schedule is also included on the district calendar.

Stillwater residents are encouraged to attend board meetings and work sessions. Agendas and minutes are posted on the Stillwater BoardDocs system.

A school board must have a quorum of members (five of nine members) present for a regular meeting or work session to take place. All board actions authorized or required by law must be taken in an open meeting. New York State law allows the board to discuss issues related to personnel, real estate, negotiations and legal matters in Executive Session. However, any vote on these issues is taken in open session.

Board work sessions will allow better focus on information, activities

A new Board of Education work session format was implemented beginning in September, 2022, to enhance the flow of information and activity details to the board and allow members to better focus on such items.

During months with two Board of Education meetings, the first meeting will be a board work session, where school and district-related information will be presented to and discussed by board members. Topics could include updates about athletics, safety, finances, facilities and other items, as well as presentations by faculty, students and staff. As with all regular Board of Education meetings, board work sessions will be open to the public, yet with a sole focus on board work rather than public comment or feedback.

At the second meeting each month, the Board of Education will conduct its regular responsibilities of voting on items, addressing business items and making appointments, and the public comment period will be part of this second meeting. As with the work session, the second meeting, as a regular board meeting, is open to the public.

Public Input

Residents who wish to address the Board of Education are welcome to do so during the second board meeting of each month, as the first meeting of the month is devoted to a board work session. All meetings of the board are open to the public.

The board prohibits discussion on matters that could violate the reputation, privacy or rights due to process of staff, students or others. These types of concerns should be directed to the Board of Education in writing, to the attention of the board president.

About the Board of Education

The Stillwater Board of Education is composed of nine non-paid members who serve three-year terms. Members are elected by the voters in the district to establish policy and govern the schools. The Superintendent of Schools advises the Board of Education on all school-related matters, board policies, and decisions that impact the district’s day-to-day operations. This is done with the goal of ensuring that all Stillwater students are provided with the highest quality educational experience possible. Each spring the Board of Education adopts a budget for the coming school year for a community vote, which is held on the third Tuesday in May.

Roles and responsibilities of the board include:

Establishing a vision and long-term goals for the district
Developing Board policy and taking action as required by law
Advocacy for a high quality education for all of our students
Assuring the effective day-to-day administration of the school district
Adopting a budget that reflects and supports district goals