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I have been asking questions during public participation at our board of education meetings for several months now. Recently, I was told that I am no longer allowed to ask about what we plan to do to retain our teachers and that I am only allowed to ask the school board about policy.
Is this accurate? Can they limit what I am allowed to talk about when I’ve been asking questions for months and now they are changing the rules?
Additionally, while reading this website, I noticed that meetings are supposed to be posted 72 hours in advance. Where do they have to post this information? I don’t think this is happening, as there have been many times when I only heard about a meeting because a board member mentioned it to me. I haven’t seen anything posted anywhere.
I’m also curious about the lack of public discussion during meetings. Often, statements like “all in favor of section 1.1-2.2” are made, and then there is no discussion. The public never sees the back-and-forth on these topics. Board members consistently refer to the “packet” they are given. I have asked for a copy of this packet, but they have not provided it. They only give me the agenda.
I feel like our board is not being transparent with the public, and I’m not sure what to do about it.
Please guide me so I can be better informed about how this process is supposed to work.
Unfortunately, under New York’s Open Meetings Law, the public does not have the right to speak at meetings—only the right to observe them.
A public body, such as a school board, can allow public participation under rules they set. These rules usually involve how to sign up to speak and the time limit for each speaker. Some places restrict comments to agenda items, while others allow broader topics.
Most public bodies permit you to express opinions and concerns but generally do not engage in responding to questions.
What school board are you referring to, and do they have a written policy or rules regarding public comments?
In my opinion, you can ask whatever you want, but the board is not obligated to respond or answer your questions.
The Open Meetings Law requires public notice of meetings scheduled at least one week in advance, with at least 72 hours’ notice before the meeting by posting it online, sending it to newspapers, posting it on building bulletin boards, etc. Many school boards have a calendar outlining their meetings for the year.
For meetings scheduled with less than a week’s notice, the board is required to provide notice to the best of its ability.
Some school boards also have an email list you can join to receive notifications about all meetings.
In addition to posting the agenda online at least 24 hours before the meeting, the board should also post all meeting documents for the public to access. Any packet given to board members should be made available online for public viewing.
Many boards quickly vote on items without discussion and then move on. As long as the meeting and voting are conducted in public, that satisfies the legal requirement.
I hope this information is helpful.