Policy BCBI/KCA: Public Participation in Board Work Sessions and Board Meetings

BOARD POLICY
Descriptive Code: BCBI/KCA

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN BOARD WORK SESSIONS AND BOARD MEETINGS
Date: MAY 21, 2002

The schools belong to the public; education carried on in the school system is public business; therefore, the Board and staff welcome and encourage citizens of the system to attend its work sessions and Board meetings. By attending, the public may become better acquainted with the operation and programs of the school system, and the Board at times may have the opportunity to hear the wishes and ideas of the public.

School Board meetings are held to conduct the affairs and business of the system it oversees. School Board meetings are not meetings of the public. The general and special meetings, however, are open to the public and, naturally, the public is invited and encouraged to attend. The School Board may restrict, in accordance with State law, public participation in meetings to any extent necessary to allow it to carry on its business.

To assure that the Board can conduct its business orderly, properly, and efficiently, and to assure that those wishing to be heard can be afforded the privilege, the Board has adopted the following procedures pertaining to public participation in its work sessions and regular Board meetings:

1. Up to fifteen minutes of each work session and Board meeting will be designated for public participation. A maximum time of five minutes or less will be allotted to a single individual or a single topic based on the number of requests. If more than one person requests to address the Board, the time allotted per person shall be determined by equally dividing the total time by the number of persons completing the Request for Public Participation Form; however, no one individual will be allowed more than five minutes. The individual should speak to the Board, not to the audience.

2. Any person concerned with an administrative question should exhaust all administrative channels before presenting same to the Superintendent and/or the Board.

3. Any individual desiring to speak is requested to complete the Request for Public Participation form located on the table at the Board Room entrance. Forms must be completed and turned in to the Board Chairperson and/or designee prior to the meeting being called to order.

4. Questions, suggestions, proposals, or criticisms which have been presented verbally should also be submitted, when practical, in writing and should be signed by the individual or the spokesperson of the group appearing before the Board.

5. 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.

6. Complaints against any employee of the school system will not be heard unless the complaint has been submitted, in writing, to the Superintendent at least seven (7) days prior to the Board meeting. If unresolved, any personal complaints of school personnel must be put in writing for the Board to review in Executive Session. Personal attacks against any member of the Board will not be tolerated.

7. No profane and/or vulgar language or personal abuse against any person will be permitted.

The Board vests in its chairperson, or other presiding officer, authority to terminate the remarks of any individual.

ADOPTED: 08/16/88
REVISED: 12/20/88; 1/17/89; 4/18/89; 4/16/91; 10/15/91; 6/15/93; 5/18/99

Newton County Board of Education