One of the first actions taken by the newly elected school board was to adjust the timing of business meetings and shift the schedule for public comment. Previously, business meetings started at 6:00 pm, with public comment at the beginning. Now, business meetings begin at 4:00 pm, and public comment has been moved to the end of the meeting.
This change impacts stakeholders’ ability to voice their opinions and concerns. Holding the meeting at 4:00 pm makes it difficult for many staff members to attend or watch the meeting live due to after-school commitments, community club activities, and extended work hours.
Shifting public comment to the end of the meeting further diminishes the opportunity for stakeholders to have an effective impact. Board members will discuss, amend, and vote on agenda items before hearing public input. So, if a stakeholder reads the agenda and wants to raise valid concerns, it becomes too late — the board will have already voted before they can speak.
This issue is particularly concerning regarding the upcoming budget meetings. The school board will hold a budget work session on April 1st, with no public comment allowed. The next meeting, on April 15th, will include public comment, at the end of the meeting. This means the board will discuss, amend, and vote on issues without giving stakeholders the opportunity to voice their opinions beforehand.
What can you do? You can send an email, but your ability to publicly express your thoughts and concerns before the board votes has been significantly limited.
Furthermore, on March 18th, additional changes were made that further restrict stakeholders’ ability to participate. Policy KD, which is currently under revision, has already undergone its first reading. While some proposed changes to the policy are positive, a particular concern is the reduced window for signing up to speak.
Under the current policy, speakers are not required to sign up before the meeting, but are expected to sign the log at the speakers’ table. The proposed change now requires speakers to sign up by 4 PM on the Monday before a business meeting, shortening the time available to sign up.
These changes do not expand opportunities for stakeholder participation; rather, they limit it.
These changes impact staff, parents, community members, and students. Given our diverse community with its varying schedules and commitments, we seek greater flexibility to express our voices, not less.
Here is the link to the policy. The proposed changes are in blue.