Public Participation Procedure
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS
A portion of each Board of Education Meeting is reserved and set aside for purposes of public comment and participation. This is done after the minutes fo the previous meeting are approved. Members of the public shall be permitted to comment on any matters or issues listed on the agenda for the meeting. Those wishing to address the Board must submit the request form entitled "Public Participation at Board of Education Meetings" to the President or Secretary of the Board prior to the start of the meeting.
No comments will be heard at an open meeting of the Board of Education concerning charges or complaints against an individual employee of the district.
The Board of Education has no obligation to respond to any comments or answer any questions raised by members of the public. All meetings of the Board of Education which are open to the public are a matter of public record.
Each speaker recognized by the President shall be requested to state his or her name and address and the general subject of concern at the outset of the presentation to the Board of Education.
Members of the public addressing the Board of Education are subject to the following time constraints:
a) Five (5) minutes per speaker
b) Thirty (30) minutes per meeting
In the event that a substantial number of members of the public are present at any meeting, the President of the Board may, at his/her discretion, appoint a member or members of the public to act as a representative or spokesperson for purposes of making public comments.
The Board President may shorten or lengthen an individual’s opportunity to speak. The President may also deny the opportunity if the individual has previously addressed the Board on the same subject within the past 2 months.
The Board of Education is not a forum; it is a deliberative body. Accordingly, it receives communications, both oral and written, as a medium of information. It does not debate the contents of such communications but considers them in making decisions and in the establishment of policies.