BEDH
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD
MEETINGS
The Board desires citizens of the district to attend its sessions so that they may become better acquainted with the operation and programs of the schools and that the Board may have opportunity to hear the wishes and ideas of the public. All official meetings of the Board shall be open to the press and public. However, the Board reserves the right to meet in non-public sessions and to adjourn or recess a meeting at any time to discuss such matters as are properly considered in non-public session.
In order to assure that persons who wish to appear before the Board may be heard and, at the same time, conduct its meetings properly and efficiently, the Board adopts as policy the following procedures and rules pertaining to public participation at Board meetings.
1. Citizens wishing to add an item to the Board’s meeting agenda should inform the superintendent of the desire to do so and of the topic to be discussed as early as possible, but at least five days before the meeting. Citizens may comment, during the designated time for public remarks, on non-agenda items. However Board discussion/action on non-agenda item will not normally take place.
2. Any individual desiring to speak shall give his or her name, address, and the group, if any, that is represented.
3. The presentation should be as brief as possible. Unless an extension of time is granted, a speaker shall be limited to five minutes.
4. Speakers may offer such objective criticisms of school operations and programs as concern them. But in public session, the Board will not hear personal complaints of school personnel nor against any person connected with the school system. Other channels provide for Board consideration and disposition of legitimate complaints involving individuals.
5. Members of the public will not be allowed to participate in the discussion unless recognized by the chairperson of the Board.
The Board vests in its chairperson or other presiding officer authority to terminate the remarks of any individual when they do not adhere to the rules established above.
Persons appearing before the Board are reminded, as a point of information, that members of the Board are without authority to act independently as individuals in official matters. Thus, questions may be directed to individual Board members, but answers must be deferred pending consideration by the full Board.
APPROVED: May, 1993
REVISED: September, 1998