Central Bucks School District. Photo by James Short.
The Central Bucks School District Policy Committee meeting will hear an update this week on the progress of a proposed public comment policy for the school board.
At the school board meeting earlier this month, Superintendent Dr. Steven Yanni recommended to the board that the public comment period should be divided into a period at the start of business for agenda items, and a second period at the close of the business meeting for comment on any item.
Yanni said it was necessary to return the proposal to the policy committee, once more input was garnered from the board.
“The function of pubic comment is to advise the board on issues and items that the board may deliberate on and take action on. And when we’re in a regular board meeting, where the Board conducts business, it would be my preference of the Board to have a policy that splits public comment,” Yanni said. “The first period is agenda items only and the second period would be unrestricted.”
Yanni said the proposal is not an attempt at all to silence or thwart public comment.
“But to ensure the work of the Board – our meetings are working meetings – is conducted efficiently and effectively is really important and splitting public comment does that,” he said.
With regard to persons interrupting speakers during public comment and the like, Yanni said those items will go through the district’s standard legal review process to make sure the policy does not violate First Amendment rights.
Yanni said he was making the recommendation because he has seen it work successfully.
“Typically, what you see a lot of with public comment, when something is going on, something big and heated in the community, those items or those topics are generally not what’s on the agenda for that evening,” he said. “So having that period of public comment up front allows us to focus on the board’s business, get the board business done, and then return to what is being talked about, especially if it is something heated in the community,” he said.
Board Director Heather Reynolds was in favor of splitting the public comment, as it gives people more opportunity to speak and opens doors for more one-on-one conversations. She said this policy would not affect committee meeting comments.
“ As someone who also sat in the audience and made public comment, I understand the value of respecting people’s times,” she said. “You sit longer waiting to hear other people’s comments during two hours of comment than you would in listening to us conduct our business. It gives all the opportunity to get done what we need to get done with fresh ears,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said public comment is often seen as an “airing of grievances” versus a community discussion.
“There is a way to meet with us and sit down and have that interaction,” she said.
Board Director Jim Pepper suggested getting the policy in front of the Board’s new solicitor for review.
Board President Karen Smith said she would most likely vote against such a policy.
“I feel like the public has come out and we should do all we can to make it easier for the public to speak,” she said. “We should have it at the beginning, so if parents or community members need to get home, they can comment and go home and not wait until the end of the meeting.”
Board Director Susan Gibson asked how the policy would handle outside community groups and organizations with no ties to Central Bucks School District to speak during such comment periods.
“It’s difficult to not open ourselves up to allegations of discrimination as soon as we get into the business of vetting groups,” she said. “I think if we go back to what Dr. Yanni presented as a bare minimum requirement by law to be required to speak, that’s the easiest way to approach this.”
