Rules of Participation
The speaker agrees to obey the following rules:
1. It is the request of the Board that in consideration of the students, staff, parents and other citizens attending, members of the public address their remarks to the Board of Education through the Board Chair. For the same reasons, the Board would request that speakers, members of the audience and board members be civil, avoid profanity and not use abusive language.
2. Signs, flags, and banners are prohibited inside the Board meeting room.
3. Each member of the public participating in public comment will be given three minutes to speak. The Board limits the total time allocated for the public participation portion of the meeting to thirty minutes. The Board chair may also further limit the length of individual comments during the public participation at his/her discretion for the purpose of the efficient operation of the business of the meeting.
4. Only residents of the School District, representatives of businesses or organizations located in the District, parents or guardians of students attending the schools of the District or school system employees may address the Board during public participation. No individual or group will be retaliated against, in any manner whatsoever, for speaking during public participation.
5. The Board requests that multiple speakers from a group or organization appoint a single representative to address the Board.
6. Speakers may bring printed and other supporting materials. These materials should be given to the Superintendent or Board Chair and can be distributed to the other board members.
7. Issues involving individual employees or individual students and pending litigation are not subjects for public participation.
8. The public is urged to follow other resolution processes set forth in Board policy or available at individual schools, where those processes are clearly designed to address the issue to be raised. It should again be noted that public participation is not designed for this purpose and the Board will not take action based on public participation.
9. The use of physically threatening remarks, hateful racial epitaphs, sexually explicit language and other comments or conduct by speakers or members of the audience that result in a disruption of the meeting will not be allowed.
10. The Board will not respond to comments made by the speaker during public participation unless a member of the Board chooses to ask a question. Speakers should remain at the microphone while answering questions.
