Policy 0412 – Meetings – Participation by Public

(Adopted – September 21, 2022)

Citizen Complaints

A designated period of time may be provided for public comments at all regular Board meetings. The Board is very interested in citizen viewpoints and problems; however, citizens are encouraged to work through problems at the building and/or administrative levels before coming to the Board. Remarks may be limited to three minutes and to one appearance, thus allowing a maximum number of participants in the allotted time period in which citizens are to speak to issues. Questions directed to the Board may not always be answered immediately. All questions will be responded to by an appropriate person as soon as possible. Persons who wish to suggest items for the agenda should contact the Superintendent.

Agenda Items

Beginning July 1, 2023, and after citizen comment, residents of the District may submit an agenda item which is related to governance or operation of the District. Prior to submission of an agenda item, the submitting resident must meet with the Superintendent/designee in an effort to resolve the concern related to the agenda item. The Superintendent/designee will hold the resolution meeting within twenty (20) business days of the request. Following the resolution meeting or if a resolution meeting is not timely scheduled the agenda request will be submitted to the Board Secretary by the requesting resident. The agenda item will be included in the Board agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting if item received at least five (5) school days prior to the meeting. If not timely received, the item will be placed on the agenda of the following regularly scheduled meeting. However, the agenda may be moved to a later meeting with the resident’s agreement.

Placement of a resident’s requesting agenda item is subject to the following rules:

1. Presentation of the agenda item is limited to five (5) minutes unless expanded by the Board.
2. No more than three (3) persons may speak on the agenda item but only if each of the speakers has spoken with the Superintendent/designee as provided in this policy.
3. The Board may decline to hear a resident’s requested agenda item if the Board reasonably believes that the Board has heard an identical or substantially the same agenda item within the preceding three (3) months.
4. If the resident requesting addition of the agenda item has previously violated rules regarding conduct at a Board meeting or on District property, as reasonably determined by the Board that the requesting resident be denied placement of their agenda item.
5. If more than three (3) resident-initiated agenda items are scheduled for the same Board meeting, later resident submissions may be scheduled for the following meeting.
   
   However, if a resident-initiated agenda item is delayed under this paragraph the resident will be advised of this option to submit their presentation to the Board in writing.