Policy 212-R Public Participation in School Board Meetings Regulations
I. Regulations
The following procedures will be utilized to facilitate public participation in regular School Board meetings. The School Board will provide a specified period of time at the Board's regular monthly meeting where citizens may address the School Board on any topic, subject to right to privacy or private subject data concerns as provided by Minnesota State law.
A. The School Board reserves the right to allocate a specific period of time for this purpose and limit time for speakers accordingly.
B. Citizens who wish to speak at a public School Board meeting may do so in one of the following ways: 1) notify the Superintendent's office in advance of the School Board meeting.
2) notify a member of the board or staff prior to the start of the meeting; or 3) stand and state their wish to address the board when the Board Chair extends the invitation to speak to the audience at the appropriate time on the agenda. All speakers will be asked to complete a form indicating the topic or agenda item to which their comments relate, their name, address, and affiliation with a group (if applicable).
C. Citizens who address the School Board should open their comments by stating the subject or agenda item(s) to which their comments pertain, their name, address, and affiliation with a group (if applicable).
D. The School Board Chair will recognize one speaker at a time and will rule out of order other speakers who are not recognized. Only those speakers recognized by the Chair are allowed to speak. Comments by others are out of order. Individuals who interfere with or interrupt speakers, the School Board, or the proceedings may be directed to leave.
E. It is the practice of the School Board not to engage in discussion or debate with the speaker during the Board meeting. The School Board may follow up with the speaker at a later date, or may designate staff members to follow up with the speaker.
F. Comments by individual speakers are normally limited to a maximum of three to five minutes. The School Board retains the discretion to limit comments on any agenda item or topic to a reasonable period of time. If a group or organization wishes to address the School Board on a topic, the School Board reserves the right to require designation of one or more representatives or spokespersons to speak on behalf of the group or organization.
G. Matters raised by a public speaker which may involve data privacy concerns and/or preliminary allegations, or which may be potentially libelous or slanderous in nature, shall not be considered in public but shall be processed as determined by the School Board in accordance with governing law.
H. The School Board Chair shall promptly rule out of order any discussion by any person, including School Board members, that would violate the provisions of state or federal law, this policy or the statutory rights of privacy of an individual.
I. Personal attacks by anyone addressing the School Board are unacceptable. Persistence in such remarks by an individual shall terminate that person's privilege to address the School Board.
J. Depending upon the number of persons in attendance seeking to be heard, the School Board reserves the right to impose such other limitations and restrictions as necessary in order to provide an orderly, efficient and fair opportunity for those present to be heard.
K. Public speakers at the Regular Board Meeting may be identified in the formal minutes and the remarks will be televised as part of the proceedings.
Adoption and Amendment History
- Adopted: February 11, 2008
- Amended: August 12, 2013
- Amended: September 14, 2015
- Last Reviewed: November 13, 2017