The Waterloo School Board met Monday to approve four members selected in the April 4 election, though the meeting also featured discussion on a scheduling issue the board has faced for some time.

The board moved to accept the canvass and filing certificates from Monroe County Clerk Jonathan McLean, after which board vice president John Caupert administered the oaths of office.

Among the elected board members were incumbents Jodi Burton, board secretary Kim Ahne, board president Lori Dillenberger and newly elected member Amanda Propst.

Following the oaths of office, elections for board positions were held, with Dillenberger maintaining her role as president, Neil Giffhorn appointed as vice-president and Ahne again appointed as secretary with no opposition.

The board also approved Julie Bradley as district treasurer.

As the board came to vote on the adoption of policies, regulations and practices of the previous board, Giffhorn offered his thoughts on the start time for the portions of monthly board meetings open to the public.

He acknowledged that while the agendas for these meetings state the meeting is meant to begin at 7 p.m. – following closed session – they have started later for some time.

This matter also received some attention from a member of the public who spoke at the April board meeting.

Giffhorn entertained the idea of setting the meeting start time at 7:30 p.m., though Caupert challenged this suggestion, insisting the board should instead try to keep discussion focused and concise during closed session in order to keep things convenient for the public.

“I’d say, instead of inconveniencing the community, we’ve done that enough,” Caupert commented. “If we have to sit here and talk about everything but our favorite color in executive session, then we need to move executive session up to 5:30.”

Caupert and Giffhorn also discussed the possibility of returning to closed session after the public portion of the meeting if necessary, something board members indicated has been done only a handful of times over the years.

Caupert further said of the meeting start time, “It’s not broken, we just need to do better.”

Giffhorn also brought up the possibility of publishing meeting agendas earlier in order for them to be amended and the start time adjusted should the need arise, though Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron noted board members can sometimes indicate a subject they’d like to discuss in closed session the day of the meeting.

“I can print it out now for July,” Charron said, “but if you have five things to talk about at 10 ’til 7, and three other board members have five things to talk about at 10 ’til 7 nobody brought up until 10 ’til 7 the night of the meeting, I can’t plan for that.”

Giffhorn ultimately rescinded the 7:30 p.m. start suggestion, and the board approved precedents set by the previous board as well as the regular meeting schedule on the third Monday of each month.