Request To Address The Cabot School Board

On August 1, 2022, the District  will begin accepting requests to address the Cabot School Board at the August 16, 2022 meeting.

Request To Address The Cabot School Board Form

1.23 ADDRESSING THE BOARD

The Board recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of involving members of the public in its meetings. Therefore, the Board may set aside time for statements by guests during regular monthly school board meetings. Such statements will not be permitted during special school board meetings. The purpose of these comments is to give community members an opportunity to provide input directly to the Board about issues that fall within the Board’s authority. To fulfill this purpose, comments must be directed to the Board.

District patrons living within the school district boundaries, current employees of the Cabot School District, students, or parents/guardians of a student currently enrolled in the Cabot School District who wish to speak during the public comment portion must submit a completed request form in person at the Central Administrative Office to the Superintendent at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting of the Board. A potential speaker may only submit his/her own written request and shall not submit the requests of others. Therefore, you will be required to show a photo ID when submitting your request. The request must be sufficiently descriptive to fully assess the appropriateness of the topic of the comments. For example, requests which include topics that would operate to prejudice the Board concerning a student or personnel matter that could come before the Board for disciplinary or employment considerations or that is in conflict with other District policy or law will not be allowed. District constituents are reminded that the Board serves as a finder of fact, not unlike a jury, in matters such as student suspensions initiated by the Superintendent, expulsions, and personnel discipline. For this reason, the Board may not be involved or informed prior to a board hearing on particular student or personnel disciplinary matters. 

The Superintendent shall notify the Board President of all completed requests for public comment. Speakers will be recognized based on the order that an eligible, completed request was received, giving priority first to those who have not yet had the opportunity to address the Board and second to those who have not had the opportunity to address the Board recently. The agenda for the meeting will be posted on the District website twenty-four (24) hours before the meeting, and the speakers’ names will be listed on the agenda. Time will be set aside at the end of the meeting for comments from five (5) speakers. Each speaker will have a maximum of three (3) minutes to speak. He/she should limit comments to those noted in the written request. The individual speaking should not include any other speakers in the presentation. A speaker cannot ask a substitute to stand in his/her place to speak. When three (3) minutes have elapsed, the speaker should immediately end comments. 

Speakers will present their comments from the podium and should address their comments to the entire Board and not to one individual Board member, the Superintendent, a staff member, or the audience. Speakers should refrain from personal attacks, vulgarities, obscenities, and threats and disruptive and abusive speech. The Board President, or his/her designee, reserves the right to stop a speaker who is not adhering to the guidelines and the remainder of that speaker’s time will be forfeited. The members of the Board will listen to the speaker’s presentation, but will not respond to the presenter. The Board uses the public comment period as an opportunity to listen to citizen concerns but not to debate issues or enter into a question-and-answer session. Failure to follow the guidelines for public speaking may result in the speaker not being placed on future agendas. 

Requests received that extend beyond the allotted time for public comment will not carry over to the next month. A patron should re-apply to speak at the next board meeting if time does not allow for the patron’s comment at the initial board meeting and the patron still wishes to address the Board. Written requests for the next regularly scheduled board meeting will not be accepted until the first business day of the week following the previous board meeting. Requests received prior to the deadline each month will be provided to the Board for their review regardless of whether that patron is recognized to speak at the meeting.

Additionally, the Board accepts public comment at any time via email, phone, and mail and welcomes the dialogue created in those types of communication.  Board members’ contact information can be found on the District website.  

Date Adopted:  June 21, 2022
Last Revised: