PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS

po0167.3Adopted November 11, 2013Revised December 7, 2021

0167.3 - PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS

The Board of Education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on District matters.

To permit fair and orderly public expression, the Board shall provide a period for public participation at public meetings of the Board and publish rules to govern such participation in Board meetings and in Board committee meetings. The rules shall be administered and enforced by the presiding officer of the meeting.

The presiding officer shall be guided by the following rules:

  1. Public participation shall be permitted as indicated on the order of business.

  2. Anyone with concerns related to the operation of the schools or to matters within the authority of the Board may participate during the designated public participation portion(s) of a meeting.

  3. Attendees must register their intention to participate in the public participation portion of the meeting upon their arrival at the meeting.

  4. Participants must first be recognized by the presiding officer and will be requested to preface their comments by an announcement of their name; address; and/or group affiliation, if and when appropriate.

  5. Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to five (5) minutes duration.
  6. During the portion of the meeting designated for public participation, no participant may speak more than once on the same topic unless all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard.
  7. Participants shall direct all comments to the Board and not to staff or other participants.
  8. The presiding officer may:
     
    1. interrupt, warn, or terminate a participant's session when they make comments that are repetitive, obscene, and/or comments that constitute a true threat (i.e., statements meant to frighten or intimidate one (1) or more specified persons into believing that they will be seriously harmed by the speaker or someone acting at the speaker's behest);
    2. request any individual to stop speaking and/or leave the meeting when that person behaves in a manner that is disruptive of the orderly conduct and/or orderly progress of the meeting;
    3. request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person's conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting;
    4. call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the conduct and/or orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action;
    5. waive these rules with the approval of the Board when necessary for the protection of privacy or the administration of the Board's business.
  1. The portion of the meeting during which the participation of the public is invited shall be limited to thirty (30) minutes, but the timeframe will be extended, if necessary, so that no one's right to address the Board will be denied.

The Board may permit individuals to attend meetings remotely through live broadcast; however, public participation will be limited to those who are in attendance at the meeting site only. The Board is not responsible for any technology failures that prevent or disrupt any individual from attending remotely.

Audio or video recordings are permitted subject to the following conditions:

  1. No obstructions are created between the Board and the audience.
  2. No interviews are conducted in the meeting room while the Board is in session.
  3. No commentary, adjustment of equipment, or positioning of operators is made that would distract either the Board or members of the audience while the Board is in session.

The person operating the recorder should contact the Superintendent prior to the Board meeting to review the possible placement of the equipment.

Revised 1/14/19

© Neola 2021