North East PA Online

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NE School District Proposes Changes to Public Participation Rules at Board Meetings

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In the agenda for the November 16th school board meeting there is a line item:

First Reading: Board Policy 903 – Public Participation in Board Meetings, Revised

The revisions shown below change what members of the public must do to address the school board. The revisions are shown with a line through the words being removed and the proposed language shown in red:

Section highlight of proposed changes

There is no explanation of the reason for the proposed changes.

References to an attached form that must be filled out did not have any link or pointers to the form and after searching through the backup documents and policy manual, no form was found.

It is expected the board will have an explanation of the reasons for the changes.

Anyone with comments or questions should be sure to attend the board meeting scheduled to begin at 7PM.

Policy 903 in current and proposed forms:
Current school board policy on public participation Policy 903
Proposed changes to policy on public participation Policy 903

Policy 906 referred to in the above changes:
Public complaint procedures Policy 906

Complete policy manual:
NE School Board Policy Manual

Agenda and backup documents for the 11-16-23 board meeting:
North East School Board meeting agenda 11-16-23
NE School Board backup documents 11-16-23

Filed Under: North East School District Tagged With: , ,

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  1. Everyone has the right to know what their government is doing.
  2. Transparency is expected in all government meetings and daily operations.
  3. Everyone working in the government works for, and is answerable to, you and me.
  4. All laws, regulations, ordinances, budgets, audits and other public records should be freely available, preferably online, for citizens to examine without special fees and paperwork before they can do so.
  5. When municipalities seek bids for contract work, all bid documents should be available online, free of charge. Printed copies, if requested, should be offered at cost.
  6. Agendas should be posted online a minimum of 3 days before public meetings take place allowing interested citizens an opportunity to hear discussions and offer input on matters important to them.


Comments

  1. Maybe this is why they canceled the last board meeting. Seeing how we don’t know what could come up at a board meeting and we want to comment in the last public participation at the end of said board meeting how are we to abide the 72hr rule? If you ask me this is an attempt to further impede protected first amendment rights.

    • I so agree. What has been put into place limits the free speech of parents/guardians. I think this board has forgotten who works for who and should be voted out. Shame on them!

  2. I agree. It’s another pinch to public comments and first amendment rights. Why now? There has been more public participation the past couple years which makes things obviously uncomfortable at times… but this is the nature of public meetings. We may agree or disagree with what is being said, but it’s the citizens opportunity to be heard. If things are on the “up and up” then it should never matter what is questioned. There should always be a professional explanation and honest answer. The more this is sidestepped the more the public keeps their radar up and digs in with questions. Board policy 906 is referenced but the board should also refer back to policies that apply to THEM. It’s not a one way street. I have faithfully attended 99% of mtgs the past 2 years and have witnessed a lot. One thing I’m still waiting to witness is a a good board discussion on important items. In my 2 years I’ve heard board comments here and there but never a great discussion in public. So it begs the question that has often been raised, when are these things talked about. I’m hoping with new faces on the board soon we will see more open discussion. Whether I agree or disagree just hearing things openly discussed will be a breath of fresh air.

  3. It is very interesting how those in charge of North East children’s education are determined to limit parental input. What is happening across the nation with school board corruption is not just something we hear about; it is what we are experiencing in our own community. This town’s education is being put to shame by the work of the school administrators and school board (look at recent test scores compared to other schools and the mass exodus of good teachers). I experienced this first-hand as a student. I also overheard many conversations between teachers discussing their unhappiness.
    This proposed change is a burning red flag signaling their intent to further remove parents and students from the educational experience and teach young, malleable minds exactly what they want them to know.
    This is to teachers, students, and parents: If you are okay being told what to do and how to think, let them tell you. But, if you would rather maintain and use your God-given American rights, stand up to the current NESD board members. Use your voice in a respectful manner!

  4. Remember, They all took an oath of office and anyone elected needs to have a surety bond/liability insurance. They are all covered under the same blanket policy BTW. RTK forms on the schools website. This link is a good place for some basic information on surety bonds/insurance. Enjoy and have a great day!
    https://bondsforthewin.com/