Open Meetings Laws

Throughout the United States, a variety of state statutes mandate that meetings of the governing bodies of public entities be open to the public. In some states, such as Vermont, the legal basis for open meetings of public entities derives from the state constitution. Being public entities, the governing bodies of public schools, public colleges, and public universities generally must comply with states' open meetings laws. For example, meetings of the board of education of a local [Page 603]school district and meetings of the governing board of a public community college district must be open to the public, and, in addition, the public school or college district must comply with a variety of rules that are applicable to board meetings. This entry discusses what such ...