Similarly, the agreed upon meeting procedure limits the discussion after closing statements to board members, it does not require the board discuss the evidence at that time. Mehlhoff contends the board failed to discuss the evidence at his nonrenewal meeting. According to Mehlhoff, questions during the hearing do not satisfy the statutory requirement. Although Mehlhoff's definition is accurate, his logic is flawed. A debate is a discussion, but not all discussions are debates.
Discussions can take many forms, including the asking of questions.
In determining whether a school board has met its duty to discuss, the inquiry is not on whether the board has used a particular form of discussion, but rather, whether the board was actively involved in determining whether the reasons for the nonrenewal were substantiated. Here, the board was actively involved in the meeting. The board heard presentations from both Superintendent Rintala, and Mehlhoff and his representatives and witnesses. The board asked questions of many of the participants and was actively involved in deciding whether Mehlhoff's teaching contract should be renewed. The judgment of the district court is affirmed.