Seattle Public Schools

1410 Executive or Closed Sessions

The Board may hold executive or closed sessions as provided for in the Open Public Meetings Act or as otherwise authorized by law.

Before convening in executive session, the President or other presiding officer shall publicly announce the general purpose for excluding the public from the meeting place and the time when the executive session will be concluded. The executive session may be extended to a stated later time by announcement of the President or other presiding officer. The announced purpose of excluding the public must be entered into the minutes of the meeting.

Common executive session topics include:

  • Performance of a public employee;
  • Complaints against a public employee;
  • Potential litigation; and
  • Real estate transactions.

Closed sessions are not subject to the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act and do not require public notice, but may be noticed to promote transparency. Closed session topics include:

  • Quasi-judicial proceedings (hearings); and
  • Discussions regarding labor negotiations.