On Thursday, just hours after being sworn into office, two new South Whidbey Board of Education members attended their first meeting, a closed-door session.

The meeting was a contested start to the new board members’ terms. Newly elected board members, Greg Gilles and Rich Parker, and re-elected member, Bob Riggs — who were sworn in by Superintendent Martin Laster on Wednesday afternoon — went into the executive session at the South Whidbey Intermediate School community room with with their fellow board members, two former board members and the district’s auditing consultant. It took the school board 30 minutes to decide whether or not it could hold an executive session with former board members Barb Schneeman and Ray Gabelein, Jr. present.

The meeting, called by Gabelein prior to the expiration of his term, was to have addressed personnel matters relating to a portion of an audit being done on the school’s finances by the Seattle firm Moss Adams.

The reasons given for the executive session may not comply with state law. When personnel matters are to be discussed in an executive session, the reasons given to the public for having the session must be specific and must either have to do with a public hiring or a complaint brought against a public employee.

There is no specific allowance under the state’s open meeting law allowing elected officials to discuss an audit in closed session.

According to Gabelein, who was a board member when the meeting was called, the school district’s attorney recommended that the reason given for the session — and any session at which an employee’s job performance is discusssed — be listed simply as “personnel.”

There was a protest from the public when the meeting was closed. Jim Simpson, who was there with his wife, Jan said he believed that if the two former board members were allowed into the meeting, then that meeting should be open to all of the public.

Gabelein and Schneeman said they would abide by the board’s decision whether they could remain. They were allowed to do so.

Board members discussed the open meeting law and board policy relating to closed meetings. Helen Price-Johnson said the board “may not be on solid ground” by allowing two members of the public, and no one else into the closed meeting.

Tom Krippaehne, an auditor with Moss Adams who was also invited into the executive session, stood over to the side as the board members discussed the situation.

Board director Bob Riggs asked Krippaehne whether the report he planned to give that evening would be different “if Ray and Bob were not here.”

Krippaehne shook his head, but did say there would be “people issues and matters that will not be contained in final audit report that will be open to the public.”

The board adjourned into executive session with Gabelelin and Schneeman present for part of it.