• [Source: Board Policy BED(LOCAL) and BED(Regulation)]

Audience participation at a Board meeting is limited to the portions of the meeting for citizen comments on the open session agenda items (hereinafter “Agenda Comment”) or citizen comments on any item of interest or concern to the District (hereinafter “Citizen Participation”), which are designated for those purposes. At all other times during a Board meeting, the audience shall not enter into discussion or debate on matters being considered by the Board, unless requested by the presiding officer.

Persons who wish to participate in Agenda Comment and/or Citizen Participation may sign up using the designated registration form link posted in the meeting agenda on the District’s website beginning when the meeting agenda is posted through 12 p.m. on the day of the meeting.  Persons wishing to speak must complete the designated registration form in full and be present at the meeting to make his/her own comments during the designated time for Agenda Comment and/or Citizen Participation to be eligible to speak.  Any registered speaker who is absent from the meeting at the time for Agenda Comment and/or Citizen Participation forfeits the opportunity to address the Board at that meeting, but may submit written comments to the Board.

At each open meeting of the Board, patrons who have registered in accordance with the procedures established by BED Regulation may address the Board during the designated Agenda Comment period prior to the Board’s consideration or action on the item.  Patrons wishing to comment on more than one agenda item must complete a separate Agenda Comment request form for each item.      

Unless the agenda is otherwise rearranged by the Board President during the meeting, Agenda Comments will generally be taken prior to each agenda item.

The amount of time allotted for each Agenda Comment presentation is dependent upon the total number of agenda comment requests for each agenda item.  For agenda items in which there are fifteen (15) or fewer registered requests to comment, each Agenda Comment presentation shall be a maximum of two (2) minutes.  For agenda items in which there are sixteen (16) or more registered requests to comment, each Agenda Comment presentation shall be a maximum of one (1) minute.

At each regular meeting of the Board, patrons who have registered in accordance with the procedures in BED Regulation may address the Board during Citizen Participation on any matters of interest or concern that are not posted agenda items.  Individuals may only register to speak one time per meeting under Citizen Participation.

Unless the agenda is otherwise rearranged by the Board President during the meeting, Citizen Participation will be held at the beginning of the meeting.

The amount of time allotted for each Citizen Participation presentation is dependent upon the total number of requests to speak for the specific meeting.  For meetings in which there are fifteen (15) or fewer registered requests to speak during Citizen Participation, each presentation shall be a maximum of two (2) minutes.  For meetings in which there are between sixteen (16) and thirty (30) registered requests to speak during Citizen Participation, each presentation shall be a maximum of one (1) minute. 

For meetings in which there are thirty-one (31) or more registered requests to speak during Citizen Participation, the date/time stamp on the completed registration form will be used to determine the thirty (30) speakers for Citizen Participation.

Board members may ask questions of presenters to clarify the issues presented but are not required to do so. Board members may address Agenda Comments during consideration of the agenda item but are not required to do so.  Specific factual information or recitation of existing policy may be furnished in response to Citizen Participation, but the Board shall not otherwise deliberate or decide regarding any matter raised in Citizen Participation that is not otherwise properly posted on the agenda for the meeting.

The Board may hold a public hearing in which any interested persons shall be allowed to present information on the topic of the hearing in accordance with established procedures posted on the District’s website.

The Board shall not tolerate disruption of the meeting by members of the audience. If, after at least one warning from the presiding officer or parliamentarian, any person who continues to disrupt the meeting by his or her words or actions, may be removed from the meeting.

The presiding officer or designee shall determine whether a person addressing the Board has attempted to solve a matter administratively through resolution channels established by policy. If not, the person shall be referred to the appropriate policy (see list below) to seek resolution:

Employee complaints: DGBA
Student or parent complaints: FNG
Public complaints: GF