Archive → August, 2015
Public Comment 101 – School Board Meetings
Did you ever say to yourself, I need to speak to the school board!
You can email the Hays CISD Board of Trustees, or speak to directly to a member, but sometimes you want to make sure they all hear it at once. In person.
You may want to voice your opinion about something you are not happy about. And you want it to stop.
Or you may be very happy with something and want to thank us and make sure it continues. We get some of those comments too.
You may want ensure the Board knows about something so you want to put it on our “radar”.
You may want to invite us to an event. We get invitations to school events, and booster club sponsored events. We love those.
In this blog post, I will explain what you need to know if you want to speak at a meeting.
You can choose to speak about an item on the agenda. But the topic doesn’t have to be on the agenda in order for you to bring it up.
You can speak at any meeting if “public forum” is on the agenda.
Hays CISD routinely adds “public forum” time to “agenda workshop” meetings and “ regular meetings”. A third type of meeting, special meetings or workshops, usually don’t have public comment time. Special meetings are usually work sessions for specific topics, such as budget workshops or training. Check the board meeting schedule online for the dates, and types of meetings.
To confirm public comment will be allowed at the board meeting, read the agenda online. Agendas for non-emergency meetings are posted at least 72 hours in advance.
Complete the “Request to Speak to Board of Trustees form”, a bright green sheet), when you arrive at the meeting. The green sheet will ask for your name, address, telephone number and email. Turn the form into the school administration members at the front of the room.
Most meetings begin at 5:30pm. However, the school board usually uses the first hour for closed session and reconvenes, at the discretion of the Board President, at 6:30pm. The public comment will occur early in the meeting. So most people who want to speak at a meeting usually get there between 5:30 pm-6:00 pm. However, the building is often open thirty minutes before the meeting starts.
Per Board policy, you will have five minutes to speak. Board policy allocates up to thirty minutes of time for public comment at each meeting. The Board, however, can choose to further limit the amount of time you have to speak. For example, the time per person could be cut to three minutes, if there is a large crowd, to allow everyone a chance to speak. The board can also decide to allow public comment to go beyond thirty minutes if they choose to do so. If the Board reduces individual comment limits, the Board President will notify everyone before the first speaker begins.
When public comment starts, the board president will read the following:
“PUBLIC FORUM It is the policy of the Board that, if members of the audience wish to address the Board, they must complete the Request to Speak to Board of Trustees form (green sheet) at the entrance prior to reconvening in open session. Commentaries and/or questions are limited to public forum section of the set (said) agenda as is provided in Board policy. Please be aware that the audio of Public Forum is recorded as part of the recording of the entire meeting and is published on the District’s website without alteration. A person who chooses to speak in Public Forum is consenting to the online publication of their comments.”
Everything you say is recorded and is part of the public record. The school records the audio of the entire meeting, including public comment, and places it on the the Hays CISD website. Sometimes reporters and members of the public will also record or video your comment also.
When public comment begins, the Board President will call speakers to the front of the room, in the order they turned in their request to speak. The Board President will introduce speakers, but it’s a good idea to restate your name at the beginning of your comment.
For example, “I am Jane Smith, a parent of a student at Buda Elementary, and I am here to discuss bus safety”. Or I am Joe Smith, a student at Chapa Middle School, and I am here to ask you to vote “no” on agenda item, J1, the school calendar.”
If you have handouts, this is a good time to give them out. You will need at least eight copies for the seven trustees and the superintendent. If you provided the handouts earlier when you turned in your green sheet, point out the title of your handout. Board members have lots of paper on their desk so it’s a good idea to place your name on the handout so the board members can clearly identify it’s from you or the organization your represent.
Board members will listen to you and take notes while you speak. Some of the Trustees take notes on their ipads or computers, so you may see them typing away. Afterwards, the Board President may ask the superintendent to address your concerns by calling or emailing you later.
The Board can’t ask questions, debate or discuss an item with you during the meeting.
However, if the item is on the agenda, the Board can discuss it among themselves when the agenda item is under consideration.
Since your public comment time is brief, it’s important to be clear on why you are there.
For example, a speaker might say
As a ________.
I want _____.
so that ____.
For example:
As a student, I urge the Board to vote no on agenda item J1, the school calendar, because the weather make-up day falls on Memorial Day and may keep us from honoring our heroes.
Or, as a long time attendee of football games, I have noticed the exit gates are not always open on time. We need to open them quickly to improve safety as we leave football games.
Or, as a parent of two elementary school students, I commend the school district for its after care program. Please make sure it continues in the future so other parents have an affordable option.
If the item is on an agenda, the Board can make a decision on the matter. The school calendar weather make-up days is definitely a Board decision. When to open the football exit gates is a school administrator decision, so the Board President would ask the Superintendent to address the issue.
See you at the next board meeting!
Willie Tenorio, Hays CISD Board of Trustees
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