What Should Be Allowed During Public Input at School Board Meetings?

If you're looking forward to standing at the microphone at to give the board a piece of your mind, you may be out of luck unless you wish to comment about "the ’s Consideration of ."

According to the meeting agenda, the board only will recognize requests to speak on that issue. Requests to speak about controversial issues that came up at last month's meeting, including , unfounded accusations against district communications coordinator Tracy Habisch-Ahlin, and accusations within letters to the editor by former guest teaching April Simmons, has no place on this month's agenda.

Changes to Public Input Procedure

Also at last month's Board of Education meeting, Board President Tom Holland commented on the need for more civility during the public input portion of school board meetings and he reiterated the need to comply with Policy #7600 (attached) regarding "Governance of the Manner in Which Speakers Address the Board."

"While disagreements and differences of opinion are not only part of the process, they can and should be a healthy exercise for us," Holland said. "However, when disagreements on issues turn into personal attacks on individuals, that results in a deteriorating of the productive process as well as disintegration of respect for others leading to a loss in community. Personal attacks, false accusations and innuendo are unwarranted, inappropriate, unproductive as well as disrespectful, and will not be tolerated as a part of these board meetings."

In addition, he unveiled a new version of the "Request to Speak to the Board of Education" form. The new form (attached) asks requesters to identify the specific topics they wish to address, and submit the form before the topic is introduced by the chairperson.

Holland also explained that the board is under no legal obligation to recognize members of the community to speak at board meetings, but it does so as a courtesy.

Free Speech

During the public comment portion of last month's meeting, outspoken school board critic Curt Weese, a North Hudson resident, took the opportunity to read aloud the First Amendment. The famous words begin with "Congress shall make no law... ."

"I really didn't plan on addressing the board this evening, but that diatribe from the board president prompted me to read this to you," Weese said before reading the passage from his cell phone. "Obviously Congress can't make those laws, but it looks like the board president ant the superintendent have done that here in St. Croix County."

---

What do you think?: Do you support Holland's call for civility? Do you support Weese's claim of violated free speech rights? Are you somewhere in the middle? Is the board fostering civility or just stifling dissent? Tell us in the comments.

---

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for our daily newsletter