PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS
The Board of Education desires citizens of the district to attend its sessions so that they may become better acquainted with the operation and programs of the schools and that the Board may have the opportunity to hear the wishes and ideas of the public. All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. All actions of the Board shall be taken openly, and the deliberations leading to Board action shall likewise be conducted openly. All school board meetings and school board committees shall be open meetings; however, the board reserves the right to meet in Closed Session as provided by Wisconsin State Statutes.
To assure that persons who wish to appear before the Board may be heard and, at the same time, conduct its meetings properly and efficiently, the Board adopts as policy the following procedures and rules about public participation at Board meetings:
Public comment shall be permitted as indicated on the order of business.
Attendees must register their intention to comment in the public portion of the meeting upon their arrival at the meeting.
Participants must be recognized by the presiding officer and will be requested to preface their comments with an announcement of their name.
Participants shall direct all comments to the Board and not to staff or other participants.
Participants shall address only topics within the legitimate jurisdiction of the Board.
The Board vests in its president or other presiding officer authority to terminate the remarks of any individual when they do not adhere to the rules established above. The board shall have the final decision in determining the appropriateness of all such rulings. Except in emergencies, the board will withhold action to initiate studies and provide time for deliberation. The board will table issues presented at a meeting that do not appear on the agenda. Items shall be placed on an appropriate subsequent agenda.
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.