(a) The school board of a public school district that wishes to be exempt from the provisions of section 1264 of this title may vote at a meeting warned and held for that purpose to exempt itself from the requirement to offer either the school lunch program or the school breakfast program, or both, for a period of one year.

(b) If a public school is exempt from offering a breakfast or lunch program, its school board shall conduct a discussion annually on whether to continue the exemption. The pending discussion shall be included on the agenda at a regular or special school board meeting publicly noticed in accordance with 1 V.S.A. § 312(c), and citizens shall be provided an opportunity to participate in the discussion. The school board shall send a copy of the notice to the Secretary and to the superintendent of the supervisory union at least ten days prior to the meeting. Following the discussion, the school board shall vote on whether to continue the exemption for one additional year.

(c) On or before the first day of November prior to the date on which an exemption voted under this section is due to expire, the Secretary shall notify the boards of the affected school district and supervisory union in writing that the exemption will expire.

(d) Following a meeting held pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the school board shall send a copy of the agenda and minutes to the Secretary and the superintendent of the supervisory union.

(e) The Secretary may grant a supervisory union or a school district a waiver from duties required of it under this subchapter upon a demonstration that the duties would be performed more efficiently and effectively in another manner. (Added 1973, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; amended 2003, No. 22, § 1; 2011, No. 58, § 22, eff. May 31, 2011; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 133, eff. Feb. 14, 2014.)