240 - Public Participation in Board Meetings

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Series200

Policy Title: Public Participation in Board Meetings Code No: 240

The board recognizes the importance of citizen participation in school district matters. In order to assure citizens are heard and board meetings are conducted efficiently and in an organized manner, the board will set time aside for citizen participation, either at a specific time during the meeting or during the discussion of agenda items.

Public Comments During Board Meetings

Citizens wishing to address the board on a certain agenda item must notify the superintendent prior to the board meeting. Citizens wishing to present petitions to the board may do so at this time. However, the board will only receive the petitions and not act upon them or their contents.

The board has the discretion to limit the amount of time set aside for public participation.

The board has the discretion to limit the amount of time set aside for public participation. Normally, speakers will be limited to 3 minutes with a total allotted time for public participation of 15 minutes. However, the board president may modify this time limit, if deemed appropriate or necessary. Public comment is a time set aside for community input, but the board will not discuss or take any action on any matter during public comment.

Petitions to Place a Topic on the Agenda

Individuals who wish for an item to be placed on the board agenda may submit a valid petition to the board. For a petition to be valid, it must be signed by at least 500 eligible electors of the district, or ten percent of the individuals who voted in the last school election, whichever number is lower.

Upon receiving a valid petition to the board to place a proposal on the next board agenda for public hearing, the board will place the proposal identified in the petition on the agenda of the next regular meeting, or a special meeting held within 30 days of receipt of the petition. The board will provide a sign-up sheet for all individuals who wish to speak on the proposal, and individuals will be called to speak in order of sign-up. The sign-up sheet will require each individual to list their legal name and mailing address. Each speaker will be limited to an amount of time established by the board president that is reasonable and necessary based on the number of speakers signed up. The same time limit will apply to all speakers on the proposal. Each individual will be limited to one opportunity to speak. The board maintains absolute discretion on whether or not to discuss or act on the public comments made on the proposal. If a petition is related to curriculum, the district maintains discretion to determine whether to stop teaching that curriculum until the board holds the public hearing to discuss the curriculum.

If the pressure of business or other circumstances dictate, the board president may decide to temporarily suspend this practice. The board president will recognize these individuals to make their comments at the appropriate time. The orderly process of the board meeting will not be interfered with or disrupted. Only those speakers recognized by the board president will be allowed to speak. Comments by others are out of order. If disruptive, the individual making the comments or another individual causing disruption may be asked to leave the board meeting.

Date of Adoption/Revision:

July 2003

July 2006

July 2009

July 2012

July 2015

September 2019

August 2020

September 2021

Jen@iowaschool… Fri, 11/01/2019 - 12:19

240R1 - General Complaints by Citizens

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Series 200

Policy Title: Public Complaints

Code No: 240R1

The board recognizes that concerns regarding the operation of the school district will arise. The board further believes that constructive criticism can assist in improving the quality of the education program and in meeting individual student needs more effectively. The board also places trust in its employees and desires to support their actions in a manner which frees them from unnecessary or unwarranted criticism and complaints.

Procedures for dealing with complaints concerning programs or practices should be governed by the following principles:

where action/investigation is desired by the complainant, or where it seems appropriate, the matter should be handled as near the source as possible;
complaints should both be investigated and, if possible, resolved expeditiously;
complaints should be dealt with courteously and in a constructive manner and
individuals directly affected by the complaint should have an opportunity to respond.

Specific procedures for handling complaints may be established in policies. The board, consistent with its board policy-making role, will deal with complaints concerning specific schools, programs or procedures only after the usual channels have been exhausted. Complaints regarding employees or complaints by students will follow the more specific policies on those issues.

When a complaint requiring attention is received by the board or a board member, it will be referred to the superintendent. After all of the channels have been exhausted, the complainant may appeal to the board by requesting a place on the board agenda or during the public forum portion of the board meeting. If the complainant appeals to the board, the appeal will be in writing, signed and an explanation given of the process followed by the complainant prior to the appeal to the board.

Parents, guardians and community members of the district who have concerns about the district or the board may refer to the student handbook for additional guidance from the Iowa Department of Education.

Date of Adoption/Revision: