You are invited!
We have a brief Business Meeting (see agenda below) followed by Parent/CG Support
Monday APRIL 29th
6pm
The Russell Home - email duxburysepac@gmail.com for the address or check your email
Thank you to Heather and John Russell for graciously hosting.
4/29 Business Meeting Agenda
6pm - 6:10 pm Vote on Update to Duxbury SEPAC Bylaws
Current Duxbury SEPAC Bylaws can be found here.
Please review and if you have any questions or proposed changes please reach out or bring to the meeting for discussion.
Our bylaws ask for review and update every two years. It is due.
Article VI - We are proposing to reflect updated MA law and eliminate the requirement that Open Meeting law be followed by Duxbury SEPAC.
MA laws have changed effective October 2021 such that SEPACs are NOT subject to Open Meeting Law any longer. This decision was rendered by Attorney General Maura Healey’s office and that decision letter can be found using this link.
The MA Attorney General Office answers the question: “Are Special Education Parent Advisory Council (“SEPAC”) groups public bodies subject to the Open Meeting Law? "By law, membership in a SEPAC is open to 'all parents of eligible students and other interested parties.' 603 CMR 28.07(4). We have concluded that a body with such a fluid makeup, which has an ever-changing membership and quorum, and which carries out its role based on whoever attends a particular meeting or participates in a particular vote, is not the type of body to which the Open Meeting Law applies. Although it is possible a SEPAC could structure itself in such a way as to satisfy the criteria for being considered a public body subject to the Open Meeting Law, all of the SEPACs we have reviewed have been determined not to be public bodies and not subject to the Open Meeting Law. See OML 2021-150" The Federation for Children with Special Needs agrees. Here is a useful link Duxbury SEPAC, similar to virtually all SEPACs, is not a public body as defined by law as it is not a body empowered to act collectively. Please review OML 2021-150 for details.
Current Dux SEPAC Bylaws wording (bold added):
"Article VI: Meetings
All meetings are open to the general public. Meetings shall be held at least five times, from September through June. Notice of all meeting dates and elections shall meet Open Meeting Law requirements described in Chapter 39, Section 238of the Massachusetts General Laws. Notice shall include publishing notices of meetings and elections in the local press, filing and posting notice of meetings and elections with the town clerk, and sending a notice to each voting member, bymail, email or some other communication method."
Proposed change: delete the bolded text and replace with - "be posted to the school and/or Dux SEPAC website, in addition to social media, email, or other communication methods."
6:10-6:15pm Vote to Approve Expenditure in excess of $150 (per Bylaw Article VI)
Website Hosting and Domain Name Renewal via Squarespace.com for www.DuxburySEPAC.org - Roughly $224 per year
6:15-6:20 pm - Nominations for Duxbury SEPAC Board - elections to be held in May.
Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer.
Who can vote to amend bylaws or in elections?
Dux SEPAC Bylaws define "voting members" as any general member who is a parent or guardian of a child with special needs residing in Duxbury AND who has attended at least two previous SEPAC meetings inthe previous 12 months.
6:20 pm - 8 pm Parent Support
We hope you can join us. Reach out with any questions.