The Carroll County Board of Education’s policy on public participation at school board meetings has again been updated, now banning speakers from discussing individual students, and allowing speakers to sign up to participate earlier in the week before a meeting.
The updates passed unanimously on Wednesday.
Chloe Kang, the student representative on the board and a rising junior at Liberty High School, suggested that the board lengthen the sign-up window for interested speakers. Her suggestion resulted in a successful amendment to expand public participation sign-ups as early as 4 p.m. on the Monday before a school board meeting.
Before the board’s most recent policy revision in November 2022, anyone attending a school board meeting could request to speak without advance notice. The 2022 revision limited the maximum number of speakers to 15 and restricted the sign-up window to the day before a meeting, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Carroll’s Board of Education meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m., with a meeting agenda posted two days prior, at 4 p.m. on Monday.
The system’s communications office selects speakers on Wednesday morning if the number of sign-ups exceeds 15, and creates an order for speakers based on content, Communications Officer Carey Gaddis said.
Superintendent Cynthia McCabe said at last month’s meeting that the policy offers a limited sign-up window because it’s designed to let speakers view the school board meeting’s agenda before determining whether they wish to comment.
Former student representative Sahithya Sudhakar, a recent graduate of Liberty High School, said last month that expanding the sign-up window would make it easier for students to testify. The May 8 meeting was Sudhakar’s last as a student representative.
On Wednesday, Kang suggested allowing the public to sign up when the agenda is posted on Mondays.
Board member Steve Whisler’s amended the public participation action item, adding that the opening of the public participation sing-up window should correspond with the posting of the agenda, which was unanimously approved by the school board.
Kang was seated as the board’s 49th student representative earlier at the Wednesday meeting. Carroll County’s student representative is elected by high school students, serves a one-year term, and does not have voting rights like the five adult board members elected by the public do.
“Ms. Kang, you’re making a tremendous impact your first day,” Whisler said. “We’re so proud of you.”
Specific student comment ban
The board’s public participation policy, as approved on Wednesday, adds students and the actions or statements of individual students to the list of topics banned from discussion at school board meetings.
The previous iteration of the policy already restricted speakers from commenting on, “personnel matters, pending appeals, the actions or statements of individual staff; or items related to employee negotiations.”
At the school board’s April meeting, parents asked officials to take action regarding reported attacks on Manchester Elementary School students by a classmate.
“The revisions offer the same protection to students as the guidelines provide to individual employees from being discussed at public session,” McCabe said on Wednesday.
The policy will still allow students to discuss circ*mstances of their own lives during public participation.
Board Vice President Tara Battaglia said the policy update is not about silencing the public, and she appreciates those who do bring their respectful comments before the board.
“When it comes to our students, we do need to protect them,” Battaglia said. “There have been too many instances where I have seen clips from parents that have spoke about their children or other people’s children, and then they’re plastered all over social media. And I’m sorry, that’s completely unethical.”
As of 2022, the revised policy states that each of the 15 speakers will have three minutes to address the board and leaves the door open for additional speakers if the board allows. According to a policy clarification released by the school system’s communications office in January 2023, if more than 15 people sign up to speak, first priority will be given to those wishing to address an issue on the school board’s agenda for that meeting. Second priority goes to those addressing issues expected to be addressed at upcoming meetings, and third priority would go to those seeking to speak on other topics over which the board has general authority.
The guidelines also state that “when selecting speakers, every attempt will be made to present all viewpoints of an agenda item or topic.” Those with a connection to the school system – such as a parent or employee – will be given priority over someone who does not.
The policymust be reviewedevery three years.
School board meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the Carroll County Public Schools YouTube channel and viewable on the right side of the Board of Education’s website at carrollk12.org/board-of-education/meeting-information, under CETV Livestream. Meetings are also broadcast throughout the month on Carroll Educational Television, Channel 21.
Anyone who wishes to participate during the public participation portion of school board meetings must fill out an online sign-up form athttps://www.carrollk12.org/board-of-education/meeting-informationor call the communications office at 410-751-3020 by 9 p.m., on the Tuesday before a meeting.
