Public Comment at Board of Education Business Meetings

The Board of Education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and matters of public interest. In order to permit the fair and orderly expression of public comment, the following rules shall govern and will be administered by the presiding officer.

Please note that at the monthly business meeting, the first public comment period of 15-minutes duration is limited to comments on items on the meeting’s agenda (except personnel matters). The second public comment period at the end of the business meeting is a time for community members to ask questions, present petitions, or make statements regarding either the evening’s agenda or a particular issue or concern. The Board will take such issues under advisement. Neither public comment period is a time for public discussion. If necessary, the community member will be contacted for follow-up.

• If you wish to speak, place your name, address and telephone number on the sign-in list, indicating the topic of your comments.
• Prior to making your comment:
  state your name for the record
  identify any group or organization you represent
• Comments are limited to three (3) minutes or less per speaker. A speaker may not yield his/her time to another speaker in order to extend the time for comment.
• No speaker may comment on or identify any particular student or employee by name or situation in his/her comments.
• All comments are to be directed to the board president or designee.
• Speakers on different topics will be recognized before a repeat of topics.
• Handouts and/or petitions are to be given only to the district clerk for distribution to the Board. The Board will receive and consider all written comments.

  NOTE: You may also write to the Board in care of the district clerk. The Board Policy and Procedure for Resolving Parent and Community Complaints follow.

  * adopted October 7, 2004

PROCEDURES FOR RESOLVING PARENT AND COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS

The following procedures have been developed to implement Board Policy 1310, Complaints Concerning School Personnel, Student Issues and School Matters. They are designed to provide parents and other community members with an efficient and effective way of processing and resolving complaints and concerns at the earliest possible stage. The procedures listed below should be followed before an issue is brought before the Board of Education.

Complaints and concerns shall be channeled as follows, in the order indicated:

• Teacher: In most cases, a parent should speak with the individual who works most closely with his/her child, usually his/her teacher.

• Guidance Office: At the Middle or High School, questions regarding student schedules, counseling or college applications should first be addressed to guidance.

• Principal or Assistant Principal: If an issue is not resolved after speaking with the teacher or guidance person, a building administrator should be contacted.

• Transportation Office: If an issue involves transportation matters, such as routing or times, the transportation office should be contacted first, and if not resolved, the Transportation Supervisor should be contacted.

• Central Office Administrators: If an issue is not resolved at the building administrator level, a central office administrator should be contacted as follows:

• Assistant Superintendent for Instruction: For instructional concerns.

• Assistant Superintendent of Business: For business-based concerns, including unresolved transportation issues.

• Director of Human Resources: For personnel issues.

• Director of Pupil Personnel Services: For special education issues and concerns.

• If an issue or concern remains unresolved after following the above procedures, the Superintendent of Schools should be contacted.

• If the issue is not resolved at the Superintendent of Schools level, the issue or concern may be brought to the Board of Education, in writing, for their consideration if they determine it to be within their purview and appropriate for consideration.