All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. The Board shall set a time limit on the length of the public participation time and a time limit for individual and group speakers at both regular and special Board meetings. Board time will be managed in an efficient manner to include as many community voices as possible in the allocated time for public comment. To achieve this objective, the Board in its discretion may modify any time parameters set forth herein.I. Regular Board Meetings
Because the Board desires to hear the viewpoints of all citizens throughout the District and also needs to conduct its business in an orderly and efficient manner, it shall schedule dedicated time during regular Board meetings for brief comments from the public. The Board may set a time limit on the length of the public participation time and a time limit for individual speakers at regular Board meetings.
During times of general public comment at a regular Board meeting, comments may deal with any topic related to the Board's operation of the schools.
II. Special Board Meetings
Comments at special Board meetings must be related to the call of the meeting. The Board may also set a time limit on the length of public participation time and a time limit for individual speakers at special Board meetings.
III. General Parameters for Public Comment/Engagement
Speakers may offer such criticism of school operations and programs as concern them, but are encouraged to exercise their speech rights responsibly. Defamatory and abusive remarks are out of order. The Board president and/or District administrators may terminate a speaker's privilege of address and/or remove a speaker who engages in improper conduct or remarks and/or does not comply with this policy.
Anyone who would like to address the Board at either a regular or special meeting (on the identified topic(s) for the special meeting) must sign-up electronically for public comment by providing their full name, street address, telephone number, email address, and the topic by no later than noon on the day of a regular Board meeting and by noon the day before a special Board meeting, using the sign-up link found on the Board of Education section of the District website.
Each speaker may only sign up once for the public comment portion of the agenda. The Board president and/or District administrators shall be responsible for recognizing all speakers who have properly signed up, for determining the order of speakers, for maintaining proper order, and for adherence to the time limits set. Members of the public will not be recognized by the president and/or District administrators during Board meetings except as noted in this policy.
In addition to public participation time during Board meetings, the Board is committed to engaging members of the community on an ongoing basis regarding community values about education during times other than the Board's regular meetings. To facilitate such engagement, the community may email any concerns, comments, or questions they may have to the Board using the Board email account.
IV. Eligibility to Address the Board
The following persons are eligible to address the Board at a public meeting:
Adoption Date: August 08, 2016
Last Revised: September 13, 2021
- Residents of the District;
- Parents of students currently enrolled in the District;
- Current and former students of the District;
- Current District staff members; and
- Individuals invited by the Board or Superintendent to address the Board on a designated topic.
| Cross References: | KE - Public Concerns and Complaints |
| Legal References: | C.R.S. § 24‑6‑401 et seq. (Meetings Open to the Public) |