|
Public Participation at Board Meetings
The Board of Education desires citizens of the district to attend its sessions so that they may become better acquainted with the operation and programs of the schools and that the Board may have opportunity to hear the wishes and ideas of the public. All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. All actions of the Board shall be taken openly and the deliberations leading to Board action shall likewise be conducted openly. All meetings of the school board, as well as, committees of the school board shall be open meetings; however, the board reserves the right to meet in Closed Session as provided by Wisconsin State Statutes.
In order to assure that persons who wish to appear before the Board may be heard and, at the same time, conduct its meetings properly and efficiently, the Board adopts as policy the following procedures and rules pertaining to public participation at Board meetings:
- Anyone wishing to speak before the Board, either as an individual or as a member of a group, should inform the District Administrator of the desire to do so and of the topic to be discussed as early as possible. This will permit orderly scheduling of public remarks on the meeting agenda. In addition, time will be provided at regular board meetings for citizen comments, but the school board will not act or discuss any citizen comments.
- Any individual desiring to speak shall give his or her name, address, and the group, if any, that is represented.
- The presentation should be as brief as possible. Unless an extension of time is granted, a speaker shall be limited to five minutes.
- Speakers may offer such objective criticisms of school operations and programs as concern them. But in public session, the Board will not hear personal complaints of school personnel nor against any person connected with the school system. Other channels provide for Board consideration and disposition of legitimate complaints involving individuals.
The Board vests in its president or other presiding officer authority to terminate the remarks of any individual when they do not adhere to the rules established above. The board as a whole shall have the final decision in determining the appropriateness of all such rulings. Except in emergencies, the board will withhold action in order to initiate studies and provide time for deliberation. The board will table issues presented at a meeting which does not appear on the agenda. Items shall be placed on an appropriate subsequent agenda.
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. Thus, questions may be directed to individual Board members, but answers must be deferred pending consideration by the full Board.
| 
