Last night at the School Board Meeting

Before we get started on the purpose of this post, let me just say that moving the meetings to the Elementary School Auditorium might not have been the most thoughtful move by this Board.  Did you all happen to notice how uncomfortable the audience was?  No?  Then let me explain it to you.  Your audience was mostly adults and Tunica is not known for it's under weight citizens.  In plain language: WE DON'T FIT IN LITTLE PEOPLE SEATS! 

Now that that rant is over:

At the School Board Meeting last night, Public Comments were again left off of the agenda.  Mrs. Young moved to have Public Comments be added to the agenda as it is Board Policy.  Mrs. Young and Mr. Brazille voted yes and Ms.Hardeman, Rev. Anderson and Mrs.Cotton voted no.  (Cotton attended the meeting via cell phone.  Weird.)

Okay, so here is the School Board Policy:

Section B: School Board Operations
Policy Code: BCAF Public Comments at Board Meetings
Policy:

PUBLIC COMMENTS AT BOARD MEETINGS

This school board encourages the public to express to the school board its viewpoints on issues vital to the operation of the school district.  In order to conduct board business in an orderly, efficient manner and to allow public input into board meetings, the board authorizes a "Public Comments" item on its agenda for its regularly board meetings. (The spelling of 'regularly' is taken from the policy.  Not a typo.)

DEFINITION

Public comments is an opportunity for members of the general public to briefly express their ideas, concerns, and suggestions to the school board on matters of individual or community interest.

LIMITATIONS

Public comments are limited to three (3) minutes per individual or group.  Public comments at special meetings must be related to the call of the meeting.

In order to address comments to the board, individuals must sign-in at the beginning of the meeting.  Individuals will be allowed to address the board in the order of sign-in. (Bloggers note:  At the Feb 2015 meeting there was no sign-in sheet provided and during the Feb meeting's agenda approval, the discussion was to add Public Comments to the agenda as it is Board policy.  Cotton indicated she made up the agenda and it was her choice not to include Public Comments.  This in itself is disturbing.  However, once you know that representatives from the Mississippi Department of Education were in the audience; this action by the President of the School Board takes on a whole new meaning.  Just what is it that Hardeman, Anderson and Cotton didn't want them to hear? )

The public comments time is not a forum for in-depth discussion of issues with the board, nor is it a public discussion.  Rather, it is a time that the public may use to make the board aware of matters related to student achievement and school operations.

Issues requiring more than three minutes and possibly requiring board action or response should be addressed through the process outlined in Policy BCBI, Public Participation at Board Meetings.

PARAMETERS

The public is reminded that issues protected by privacy laws (student discipline and school personnel, for example) cannot be discussed in open session and are therefore not suitable items for public comments.  Further, the board reserves the right to "make and enforce rules and regulations for the conduct of persons attending its meetings." (MS Code 25-41-9)