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bedh_public_participation_at_board_meetings

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Public Participation at Board Meetings POLICY: BEDH
School Board Approved December 6, 2004

The Board encourages citizens of the District to attend its sessions so that they may become better acquainted with the operation and programs of the schools and so that the Board may have opportunity to hear the wishes and ideas of the public. All official meetings of the Board shall be open to the press and public. However, the Board reserves the right to meet and to adjourn or recess a meeting at any time to discuss such matters as are properly considered in non-public session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3.

In order to assure that persons who wish to appear before the Board may be heard and, at the same time, it may conduct its meetings properly and efficiently, the Board adopts as policy the following procedures and rules pertaining to public participation at Board meetings.

  1. The first 15 minutes will be set aside for citizens to address the Board.
  2. Any individual desiring to speak shall give his or her name, address, and the group, if any, that is represented.
  3. The presentation should be as brief as possible. Written remarks are encouraged.
  4. Speakers may offer comments on such school operations and programs as concern them. In public session, however, the Board will not hear personal complaints of school personnel nor complaints against any person connected with the school system. Other channels are provided for Board consideration and disposition of legitimate complaints involving individuals, which should be referred to the Superintendent for appropriate action.

The Board vests in its Chairperson or other presiding officer authority to terminate the remarks of any individuals when they do not adhere to the rules established above as to content or time limitation. 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.

Legal Reference:
RSA 91-A:3, Public Records and Meetings: Non-Public Sessions

Download Section B
Policy Manual

bedh_public_participation_at_board_meetings.1574295716.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/11/21 01:21 by sau47