Open Meetings Law

Asheville City Schools will conform with and abide by the Open Meetings Law to ensure public access to Board meetings involving action, deliberation and information gathering.  Please note, however, the law does apply to gatherings of professional staff, social gatherings of the Board, or ceremonial events. For example, a “welcome back event” where a Board member addresses the school district staff is ceremonial in nature and not a public meeting simply because a majority of the Board members attend the event opening session.  However, this exception will not be used by ACS to circumvent the law or prevent the public from hearing information that involves board action, deliberation and information gathering. Such activities would convert a “ceremonial event” into a public meeting. Finally, public meetings do not include activities where the Board members may individually choose to attend that are open to the public and/or where the purpose is not action, deliberation or information gathering by the Board including, sporting events, school performances, meetings of other public bodies, and community events even when related to topics directly impacting the school district.  Simply put, the law allows for common sense and the “intent” of the activity is the guiding factor. For example, a session hosted by ACS on bullying and attended by a majority of the Board would be a public meeting but a majority of school board members electing on their own to go hear a speaker at UNCA on bullying would not convert the event into a public meeting of the school board.