Policy 1230--Public Comment at Board Meetings FOR SECOND READING 2-12-26
document
2 pages
From the meeting:
Board of Education — 2026-02-12
· our coverage →
Agenda item: Action - Policies for Second Reading
Document, 2 pages. Attached to agenda item: “Action - Policies for Second Reading”
Retrieved 2026-07-13 from the village's meeting portal.
View the original PDF ↗
Also attached to this agenda item:
Policy 1050--Annual District Election and Budget Vote...
Policy 2120.2--Voting Procedures FOR SECOND READING 2-12-26
Policy 2210--Board Organizational Meeting FOR SECOND...
Policy 5420.1--Concussion Management FOR SECOND READING 2-12-26
Extracted text
1230
PUBLIC COMMENT AT BOARD MEETINGS
The Board of Education recognizes its responsibility to hear and respond to public
comment and therefore encourages public comment at Board meetings. The Board, as a
representative body of the district, wishes to enable any person to express an interest in the schools.
There will be a specific agenda item at each regular Board business meeting to provide an
opportunity to address the Board.
A reasonable period of time shall be set aside during each regular Board business meeting
during which the taxpayers, community members, school personnel, students and other individuals
may openly express themselves directly to the Board. Persons wishing to speak should first be
recognized by the President, then identify themselves by name, any organization they may be
representing at the meeting and the topic they wish to discuss. Unless permitted to do so by the
President, no speaker will be permitted to speak for longer than three minutes. Speakers are
encouraged to comment on any agenda item or any matter related to district business. Any group
or organization wishing to address the Board in its organizational capacity must identify a single
spokesperson; however, any individual who is a member of a group or organization may separately
address the Board in their individual capacity, even if they identify themselves as a member of or
affiliated with an organization.
The Board will not permit in public session discussion involving or naming individual
district personnel or students. Persons who desire to discuss matters involving individual district
personnel or students should present their comments and/or concerns directly to the
Superintendent.
All speakers and observers/audience members are to conduct themselves in a civil manner.
Obscene language, defamatory statements, threats of violence, statements advocating racial,
religious, or other forms of prejudice will not be tolerated.
Persons making comments at a Board meeting will address remarks to the full Board and
may direct questions or comments to specific Board members or other district officials only upon
the approval of the President. Board members and the Superintendent shall have the privilege of
asking questions of any person who addresses the Board, but neither the Board or any member
will engage in discussion with the person engaged in public comments. However, the President
may correct comments that are not accurate and may refer to an existing policy in response to a
question or comment.
Questions and comments from the public concerning matters that are not on the agenda
will be taken under consideration and referred to the Superintendent for appropriate action.
Persons wishing to request that a matter be included on a Board agenda must contact the
Superintendent or a Board Officer to make such request, in accordance with Policy 2342, Agenda
Preparation and Dissemination.
Deleted: Comments should be as brief as possible.
Presentation
Moved (insertion) [1]
Deleted: may
Deleted: (1)
Deleted: or (2) any agenda item
Deleted: should be kept as brief as possible and relate to
schoo
Moved up [1]: Presentation should be as brief as possible.
Unless permitted to do so by the President, no speaker will
be permitted to speak for longer than three minutes. Speakers
may comment on (1) any matter related to district business
or (2) any agenda item.¶
Deleted: wishing
Deleted: during regular business hours
Deleted: President
Deleted: which
Deleted: have matters
Deleted: the
Deleted: shall
The President is responsible for the orderly conduct of the meeting and shall rule on such
matters as the time to be allowed for public discussion, the appropriateness of the subject being
presented, and suitability of the time for such a presentation. The Board as a whole shall have the
final decision in determining the appropriateness of all such rulings.
Ref:
Appeal of Kushner, 49 EDR 263, 49 Ed. Dept. Rep., Dec. No. 16,020 (2010) (boards not
required to allow the public to speak)
Appeal of Wittneben, 31 EDR 375, 31 Ed. Dept. Rep., Dec. No. 12,671 (1992) (boards
encouraged to permit citizens to speak)
Appeal of Byrne, 61 Ed. Dept. Rep., Dec. No. 18,029 (2022) (boards not required to allow
the public to speak)
Matter of Kramer, 72 St. Dept. Rep. 114 (1951) (boards may put time limits on public
speaking)
NYS Department of State, Committee on Open Government, Advisory Opinions OML-
AO-#2696 (Jan. 8, 1997), OML-AO-#2717 (Feb. 27, 1997), OML-AO-#3295 (Apr. 16,
2001), OML-AO-#3518 (Aug. 30, 2002), OML-AO-#4141 (Feb. 24, 2006), OML-AO-
#4044 (Sept. 30, 2005), OML-AO-#4292 (Dec. 6, 2006)
Cross-ref:
2010, Civility
2342, Agenda Preparation and Dissemination
Adoption date: November 14, 1994
Revised: June 2, 2022 (previously Public Participation at Board Meetings)
_______________
FOR SECOND READING 2-12-26 [RECOMMENDED REVISIONS
SHOWN IN TRACK CHANGES]
Machine-extracted for search and reference — the original PDF is the authoritative version.