Public Participation at Board of Education Meetings

The regular and special meetings of the Board of Education are open to the public and representatives of the press except that a part of any meeting may be designated an executive session as provided by law.

The Board welcomes participation of interested organizations and individuals. Advance announcement of all regular and special meetings of the Board is made through the posting of the agenda on the District website, through notices to newspapers and directly to those citizens and community and professional organizations who specifically request such notification. A reasonable charge may be made for those persons or organizations requesting continued advance announcements of meetings and agenda backup materials.

Board meetings are meetings held in public and are not open hearings. Once the Board moves into regular agenda the public may participate as allowed by the Chairperson and with the following restrictions:

1. Questions and/or comments are to be restricted to the specific agenda item being discussed;

2. Board members shall be recognized first for comments and/or questions;

3. Questions and/or comments by the public may be restricted by the Board Chairperson;

4. The Chairperson may, at his/her discretion, curtail public discussion at any time.

Any citizen may appear before the Board at Board meetings to express his/her opinion concerning the educational program of the district. The Board encourages members of the public to address complaints concerning individual District personnel through the proper chain of command. The Board agenda provides opportunities for comments and questions from persons attending the meeting. Persons wishing to address the Board should give their names and addresses.

It is the intention of the Board of Education to cooperate fully with appropriate officials, Boards, committees, or other agencies of the town, and with organized groups of interested citizens of the town. Any such individual or group requesting a meeting with the Board of Education should present its request to the Chairperson of the Board, or the Superintendent, in ample time to allow for proper preparation of agenda items, notification of Board members, and establishment of a mutually agreeable meeting time and place.

Committee meetings are informal, and members usually discuss issues prior to their presentation to the Board of Education for official action. The public can more freely participate in discussions at committee meetings.

(cf. 1312 Public Complaints)

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes

• 1-225 Meetings of government agents to be public. Recording of votes.Schedule and agenda o f meetings t o be filed. Notice o f special meetings. Executive sessions.
• 1-226 Broadcasting or photographing meetings.
• 19a342 Smoking in public meetings in rooms of public building prohibited.
• 1-227 Mailing of notice of meetings to persons filing written request. Fees.
• 1-230 Regular meetings to be held pursuant to regulation, ordinance or resolution.
• 1-232 Conduct of meeting.
• 1-205 Denial of access to public records or meetings.
• 10-238 Petition for hearing by board of education.

Policy adopted: November 12, 1997 HAMDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS      Hamden, Connecticut

Policy rev. adopted: December 13, 2016