Principles for Governance and Leadership

Pennsylvania school boards are committed to providing every student the opportunity to grow and achieve.  The actions taken by the Board ultimately have both short and long-term impact in the classroom.  Therefore, school directors collectively and individually will...

Act Ethically

• Never use the position for improper benefit to self or others
• Act to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest
• Recognize the absence of authority outside of the collective board
• Respect the role, authority and input of the superintendent
• Balance the responsibility to provide educational programs with being stewards of community resources
• Abide by the majority decision

It is the policy of the Board to provide an equal and reasonable opportunity to the citizens of Warren County to share their comments, viewpoints and ideas with the Board subject to reasonable controls over the length of presentations and the particular time when members of the public will be heard.  Consistent with this policy and relative to public comment, the presiding officer shall be guided by the following rules:

1.     Public comment shall occur:

a.   as scheduled on the agenda,

b.   prior to the Board’s discussion on a new motion that is not on the agenda, and

c.   at the discretion of the presiding officer on a given issue.          

2.    Whenever issues identified by the participant are subject to remediation under policies and procedures of the Board, they shall be dealt with in accordance with these policies and procedures.  The Board requests that public participants be residents of this district or represent a group in the community or school district.

3.     For a regular meeting, the presiding officer will allow for at least two (2) periods of for public comment.

The first period shall be a maximum of thirty (30) minutes in length; individual speakers addressing the Board during this first period shall be limited to three (3) minutes duration each.  Comments may deal with topics not on the agenda at the discretion of the presiding officer.  However, priority shall be given to comments concerning agenda items.  Those wishing to address the Board during the first period will sign a roster before the meeting convenes.  The roster will include the following:

a.   name,

b.   address,

c.   group affiliation, if applicable, and

d.   the agenda item that they are addressing or the topic.

The order of roster registration will dictate the speaking order.

The second period will generally occur at the end of the regular meeting.  The second period shall be a maximum of fourteen (14) minutes in length; individual speakers addressing the Board during this second period shall be limited to two (2) minutes duration each. This period will be for general comments.  There shall be no roster for the second period and speakers shall be recognized by the presiding officer.

4.     For a special meeting, organization meeting, or Committee meeting, the presiding officer will allow for at least one (1) period for public comment.  The duration of a public comment period for a special meeting, organization meeting or Committee meeting shall be determined at the discretion of the presiding officer with the understanding that a reasonable opportunity for public comment will be provided and comments must relate to the items on the agenda for that meeting. 

Those wishing to address the Board during a public comment period of a special meeting or organization meeting will sign a roster before the meeting convenes.  The roster will include the following:

a.   name,

b.   address,

c.   group affiliation, if applicable, and

d.   the agenda item that they are addressing or the topic.

The order of roster registration will dictate the speaking order.

There shall be no roster for a public comment period of a Committee meeting.  Speakers shall be recognized by the presiding officer.

5.     Public groups should assign one designated speaker to address an issue.  All people being represented may be acknowledged by either standing where they sit or by approaching the podium with the speaker. This will allow the Board to know how many people are represented by the speaker.                       

6.     Participants Those persons offering public comment who did not sign a roster for public comment before the meeting convened must be recognized by the presiding officer and must preface their comments by an announcement of:

a.   their name,

b.   address, and

c.   group affiliation, if applicable.

d.   agenda items

7.     All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer; no participant may address or question Board members or Administration individually.  Neither the Board nor the Administration will field questions directly from the floor.

8.    The presiding officer may:

a.   Interrupt or terminate a participant’s statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene or irrelevant.

b.   Request any individual to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum.

c.   Request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person’s conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting.

d.   Call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action.

e.   Waive these rules.

9.     If deemed necessary by the presiding officer, the presiding officer will remind the public at each meeting of the rules and procedures for public comment.

Electronic recording devices and cameras other than those used as official recording devices are permitted at meetings so long as they are operated in a fashion that is not disruptive.

No placards, signs, or banners are permitted within the meeting room. 

The meeting agenda shall be made available to the press and public at the meeting or prior to the meeting. 

9.      Public comment at Special Board meetings and Committee meetings shall be at the discretion of the presiding officer.

Adoption Date           -      September 13, 1999

Revision Date            -      October 10, 2005; June 29, 2018

Review Date              -     

Legal Reference        -       Pennsylvania School Laws & Rules 65 Pa.C.S.A. §701, et.

                                          seq.

Cross Reference        -       Policies 2110, 2201, 2315, 2325, 2330, 2340, and 2345