The Duneland School
Board listened to criticism this week from resident Rich Whitlow over the
board’s rules for hearing comments from the public.
Unlike most other
local government boards that allow the public to address them on issues, the
Duneland School Board does not have a designated portion of their agenda set
aside to hear concerns from the floor.
Starting in
January, however, the board added to “Patron Participation” as the first
item under new business. Duneland Schools Superintendent David Pruis said at
the board’s new policy gives patrons the opportunity to speak on items under
new business so that board members can attempt to answer concerns while they
conduct business.
New business agenda
items since then have included topics such as approval of new facility
projects, a bond issue for those projects, budget updates, textbook adoption
and summer school dates. Currently, no audience member has gotten up to
speak during Patron Participation since its inception.
Pruis said that
comments during patron participation will be limited to agenda items.
The board may also
call upon a certain audience member to give input during a discussion
If someone from the
public wishes to talk to the board on a topic not on the agenda, that person
would need to contact the superintendent of schools “at least seven working
days prior” to the board’s meeting in order for the item to be considered
for discussion, Pruis said. That provision is written at the top of each
school board meeting agenda.
The agenda now
includes another line clarifying each time that “this is a meeting of the
School Board in public for the purpose of conducting the School
Corporation’s business and is not considered a public community meeting.”
Last fall, school
board member Mike Trout said in his candidate interview with the
Chesterton Tribune that the protocol of having the public contact the
superintendent’s office seven days ahead of time is a way an issue can be
resolved before the time of the board meeting. Many questions from the
public involve personnel matters, Trout said, which the board is prohibited
by law from discussing publicly.
Attorney Chuck
Parkinson, whose firm provides legal council to the school board, said
Monday that state law does not require governing boards to have open public
comment but there are instances when the law mandates a public hearing be
held, such as an adoption or appropriation of the annual budget.
Discovery Charter
School
The Chesterton
Tribune on Wednesday asked the Discovery Charter School to explain what
its public comment policy is for its board of directors meetings.
Discovery Board
President Laurie Metz said that at the end of each board meeting, the public
is invited to make comments and is not limited to what is on the agenda.
Individuals are
also not required to sign up in advance, Metz said.
The board, like
Duneland’s, occasionally invites input from audience members during
discussion of a particular agenda item, Metz said.
Metz mentioned that
while comments are generally open, her board asks “if there is something
that concerns a specific staff member or student” that it be discussed
outside of the board meeting to respect privacy.