Gooding Jt. School District 231

COMMUNITY RELATIONS                                                                                                 4105

Public Participation in Board Meeting

All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public, but any person who disturbs good order may be required to leave. The Board of Trustees encourages all citizens of the District to express their ideas and concerns. The Board may offer the ability to attend their meeting remotely, including the ability to submit patron input electronically ahead of time at a time and in a manner identified by the Board. Such electronically provided input shall be provided to the trustees. The comments of the community will be given careful consideration. In the evaluation of such comments, the first priority will be District students and their educational program.

NOTICE

DUE TO THEIR SENSITIVE NATURE, COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT PERSONNEL OR INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS WILL ONLY BE HEARD IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. ADDITIONALLY, OTHER TOPICS YOU WISH TO ADDRESS MAY ONLY BE APPROPRIATE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION. IN SUCH INSTANCES, THE BOARD WILL DETERMINE IF YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR OPEN OR EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WILL NOTIFY YOU ACCORDINGLY.

A PERSON WHO DISRUPTS THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OR WHOSE PRESENCE IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE MORALS, HEALTH, SAFETY, ACADEMIC LEARNING, OR DISCIPLINE OF THE PUPILS OR WHO LOITERS IN SCHOOLS OR ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR.

Any complaint about the District; including instruction, discipline, District personnel policy, procedure, or curriculum; should be referred through proper administrative channels before it is presented to the Board for consideration and action. All complaints should be resolved through proper channels in the following order:

1. Teacher or staff;
2. Principal or supervisor;
3. Director or administrator;
4. Superintendent; then
5. Board of

Please also see District Policy No. 4110 Public Complaints and Suggestions.

Members of the public will not be recognized by the Chair as the Board conducts its official business except when the Board schedules a public comment period on a particular item. The

Board will listen to the public but, at the same time, expects the public to listen and speak only when properly recognized.

At each regular and special meeting of the Board the agenda may provide time for public comment before the Board. Persons wishing to address the Board will be required to submit a “Request to Address the Board” form. Forms are available from the Board Clerk and will be available at each meeting.

The Board shall ensure that members of the following groups, listed in no particular order, are given priority to participate in Board meetings:

1. Students who attend a District school;
2. Parents/guardians of such students;
3. District employees; and
4. People who reside within the

Attendees who do not belong to any of these groups will only be allowed to speak after members of the groups listed above have provided comment and only if there is still time available within the public comment period.

Total time allotted for public comment will not exceed one (1) hour. Public participation will be limited to the time allotted on the agenda. Each speaker will be limited to three (3) minutes.

Public comment will be taken on matters scheduled on the agenda. Should a large number of members of the public wish to speak on the same issue or topic, members of the public are encouraged to select one or more representatives to summarize their position. Additionally, the Board clerk will accept written comments for distribution to the Board. The Board may decline to hear repetitive comments. The Chair may also deny an individual the opportunity to address the Board if the individual has previously addressed the Board on the same subject within the past two months.

Written materials for Trustees must be submitted to the Board Clerk. The written material must include the name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting it. A copy of the materials that meet these requirements will be forwarded to Trustees if received by noon the Thursday preceding the Board meeting. Materials should not be sent directly to Trustees.

Materials may be presented or mailed to the Board clerk at 507 Idaho St. Gooding, ID 83330, or emailed to the Board clerk at lisa.astorquia@goodingschools.org.

If a topic is being considered by a committee established for that purpose, the Chair may refer the public comment to that committee.

Because of the diversity of issues and the confines of the Open Meeting Laws, Trustees will not respond to public comment nor engage in discussion with individuals or entities presenting public input. Instead, issues may be recorded and referred to the proper staff person for follow- up and/or considered by the Board in addressing the pending agenda items through open discussion or voting. The Chair may interrupt or terminate an individual’s statement when it is

too lengthy, abusive, obscene, repetitive, irrelevant, or threatening to any individual. The Board as a whole shall have the final decision in determining the appropriateness of all such rulings.

Nothing in this policy shall prohibit the removal of any person who, in the judgement of the Board Chair, willfully disrupts a meeting to the extent that orderly conduct is seriously compromised. Defamatory or abusive remarks are always out of order, and any person may be removed from the meeting if they are engaging in illegal conduct. The presiding officer may

terminate the speaker’s privilege of address if, after being called to order, the speaker persists in improper conduct or remarks.

If a special meeting has been held to obtain public comment on a specific issue, the Chair of the Board may choose not to recognize speakers wishing to comment on the same topic at a regular meeting of the Board.

Policy History Adopted on: 11/10/15

Revised on: 8/7/17;10/13/20; 2/14/23 Reviewed on: