9522-Public Meetings & Executive Session
1. Public Meetings
A. All meetings of the Newtown Board of Education (the “Board”) for the official transaction of business shall be open to the public except that the Board may, by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting, meet in executive session for the purposes specified in Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-225 and 1-200(6).
B. As defined by statute, the term "meeting" shall not include: any meeting of a personnel search committee for executive level employment
candidates; any chance meeting, or a social meeting neither planned nor intended for the purpose of discussing matters relating to official
business; strategy or negotiations with respect to collective bargaining; a caucus of members of a single political party notwithstanding that such members also constitute a quorum of a public agency; an administrative or staff meeting of a single-member public agency; and communication limited to notice of meetings of any public agency or the agendas thereof. The term "caucus" means a convening or assembly of the enrolled members of a single political party who are members of a public agency within the state or a political subdivision.
2. Executive Sessions
A. The public may be excluded from Board meetings that are declared to be executive sessions.
B. Executive sessions may be held on a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting taken at a public meeting stating the reasons for such executive session. Executive sessions may be held for any reasons permissible under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, as it may be amended from time to time, including one or more of the following purposes:
(1) Discussion concerning the appointment, employment, performance, evaluation, health or dismissal of a public officer or employee, provided that such individual may require that discussion be held at an open (public) meeting.
(2) Strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims or pending litigation to which the Board or a member of the Board, because of his or her conduct as a member of the Board, is a party until such claims or litigation have been finally adjudicated or otherwise settled.
(3) Matters concerning security strategy or the deployment of security personnel, or devices affecting public security.
(4) Discussion of the selection of a site or the lease, sale or purchase of real estate when publicity regarding such site, lease, sale, purchase or construction would adversely impact the price until such time as all of the property has been acquired or all proceedings or transactions concerning the same have been terminated or abandoned.
(5) Discussion of any matter which would result in the disclosure of public records or the information contained therein described in Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-210(b).
Legal References:
Connecticut General Statutes
1-200 Definitions (Public Agency; Meeting; Caucus; Person; Public Records or Files; Executive Sessions)
1-210 Access to public records. Exempt records
1-225 Meetings of government agencies to be public.
Recording of votes. Schedule and agenda of certain
meetings to be filed and posted on web sites.
Notice of special meetings. Executive sessions
1-231 Executive sessions
ADOPTED: May 5, 2026 Newtown Public Schools Newtown, CT