Policy 3231

SCHOOL COMMUNITY RELATIONS
3231 PUBLIC EXPRESSION AT BOARD MEETINGS



All meetings of the Board of Education shall be conducted in public and the public has the right to attend all such meetings.  

The Board of Education encourages public participation on school related matters at Board meetings. To allow for public participation, a single period not to exceed 30 minutes shall, unless waived by the Board, be set aside during each Board meeting. The period may be extended by a majority vote of the Board. Public participation will be limited to District residents and to organizations based within the District, hereinafter collectively referred to as “residents.”

Residents wishing to address the Board shall, prior to the public comment section of the meeting, place their names, contact information, organization represented (if any) and a brief description of the topic(s) to be addressed on the Privilege of the Floor form provided by the district. The Board may, in its discretion, require that any group or organization wishing to address the Board identify a single spokesperson. Further, the Board may, in its discretion, permit persons who have not signed up to address the Board, time permitting, once those persons who have signed up have had the opportunity to speak.

The Board President will invite residents who have signed up to address the Board. Residents addressing the Board should state their name for the record and identify any group or organization that they represent. Speakers may comment on any matter relating to district business. Their presentation should be as brief as possible. No speaker will be permitted to speak for longer than five (5) minutes or to speak more than once in any public comment section of the meeting. If a speaker is unable to finish his/her remarks within the five minute timeframe, he/she may supplement them by submitting a written statement to the District Clerk. A speaker may not yield his/her time to another speaker in order to extend the time for comment. The Board President may recognize speakers on different topics before a repeat of topics.

Neither the Board nor the Administration will permit discussion regarding personnel, individual students, or matters protected by privacy laws. Remarks of this nature should be presented to district administration in accordance with Board policy 3230 governing complaints. 
Residents making presentations at a Board meeting will address remarks to the Board as a whole and may direct questions or comments to Board members or other district officials only upon the approval of the President. Board members and the Superintendent shall have the privilege of asking questions of residents who address the Board. Without opening the floor to general audience participation, the Board President may call upon staff members or other specially qualified persons whom the Board wishes to hear in relation to a specific agenda topic. 

Once all speakers who are going to be recognized have spoken, or 30 minutes have elapsed, the President will close the public comment section of the meeting. The Board is not required to, but the President and/or the Superintendent may thereafter briefly respond to any of the public comment(s). 
There shall be no further public comment or dialogue regarding any responses that may be provided by the President and/or the Superintendent.
Questions and comments from the public concerning matters which are not on the agenda will be taken under consideration and referred to the Superintendent for appropriate action.

All speakers are to conduct themselves in a civil manner and abide by the provisions of the Spencerport Code of Conduct. Obscene language, libelous statements, threats of violence, statements advocating racial, religious, or other forms of prejudice will not be tolerated. The President shall be responsible for the orderly conduct of the meeting and shall rule on such matters as the time to be allowed for public discussion and the appropriateness of the subject being presented. The President shall have the right to discontinue any presentation which violates this policy or which otherwise interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting.




Adopted: 6/22/99
Revised: 8/9/22, 2/28/23

Policy 3231