Jerome School District No. 261

COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4105

Public Participation in Board Meeting

All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public, but any person who disturbs good order

may be required to leave. The Board of Trustees encourages all citizens of the District to express their ideas and

concerns. The Board may offer the ability to attend their meeting remotely, including the ability to submit patron

input electronically ahead of time at a time and in a manner identified by the Board. Such electronically provided

input shall be provided to the trustees. The comments of the community will be given careful consideration. In the

evaluation of such comments, first priority will be District students and their educational program.

NOTICE

DUE TO THEIR SENSTIVE NATURE, COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT PERSONNEL OR INDIVIDUAL

STUDENTS WILL ONLY BE HEARD IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. ADDITIONALLY, OTHER TOPICS YOU WISH TO

ADDRESS MAY ONLY BE APPROPRIATE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION. IN SUCH INSTANCES, THE BOARD WILL

DETERMINE IF YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR OPEN OR EXECUTIVCE SESSION AND WILL

NOTIFY YOU ACCORDINGLY.

“A PERSON WHO DISRUPTS THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OR WHOSE PRESENCE IS DETRIMENTAL

TO THE MORALS, HEALTH, SAFETY, ACADEMIC LEARNING OR DISCIPLINE OF THE PUPILS OR WHO

LOITERS IN SCHOOLHOUSES OR ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR.”

Any complaint about the District, including instruction, discipline, District personnel policy, procedure or curriculum,

should be referred through proper administrative channels before it is presented to the board for consideration and

action. All complaints should be resolved through proper channels in the following order:

1. Teacher or Staff

2. Principal or Supervisor

3. Director or Administrator

4. Superintendent

5. Board of Trustees

Please also see District Policy No. 4110 regarding public complaints.

Members of the public will not be recognized by the Chair as the Board conducts its official business except when

the Board schedules a public comment period on a particular item. The Board will listen to the public but, at the

same time, expects the public to listen and speak only when properly recognized.

At each Regular and Special meeting of the Board the agenda may provide time for public comment before the

Board. Persons wishing to address the Board will be required to submit a “REQUEST TO ADDRESS THE BOARD” form. Forms are available from the Board Secretary and will be available at each meeting.

The Board shall ensure that members of the following groups, listed in no particular order, are given priority to

participate in Board meetings:

1. Students who attend a District school;

2. Parents/guardians of such students;

3. District employees; and

4. People who reside within the District.

Attendees who do not belong to any of these groups will only be allowed to speak after members of the groups

listed above have provided comment and only if there is still time available within the public comment period.

Total time allotted for public comment will not exceed one (1) hour. Public participation will be limited to the time

allotted on the agenda. Each speaker will be limited to five (5) minutes. All speakers will be allowed to speak at

least once before a speaker is allowed to address the board a second time. Public comment will be taken from the

public on matters scheduled on the agenda. Should a large number of members of the public wish to speak on the

same issue or topic, members of the public are encouraged to select a representative(s) to summarize their

position. Additionally, the Board Secretary will accept written comments for distribution to the Board. The Board

may decline to hear repetitive comments. The Chair may also deny an individual the opportunity to address the

Board if the individual has previously addressed the Board on the same subject within the past two months.

Written materials for Board Members must be submitted to the Board Secretary. The written material must include

the name, address and telephone number of the person submitting it. A copy of the materials that meet these

requirements will be forwarded to Board Members if received by close of business day the Tuesday preceding the

Board Meeting. Materials should not be sent directly to Board Members. Materials may be presented or mailed to

the Board Secretary at 125 4th Avenue West, Jerome, Idaho 83338, or emailed to the board clerk at

lorri.prescott@jeromeschools.org.

If a topic is being considered by a committee established for that purpose, the Chairman may refer the public

comment to that committee.

Because of the diversity of issues, and the confines of the Open Meeting Laws, Trustees will not respond to public

comment nor engage in discussion with individuals of entities presenting public input. Instead, issues may be

recorded and referred to the proper staff person for follow-up and/or considered by the Board in addressing the

pending agenda items through open discussion or voting. The Chairman may interrupt or terminate an individual’s

statement when it is too lengthy, abusive, obscene, repetitive, irrelevant or threatening to any individual. The Board

of Trustees as a whole shall have the final decision in determining the appropriateness of all such rulings.

Nothing in this policy shall prohibit the removal of any person who, in the judgement of the Board Chair, willfully

disrupts a meeting to the extent that orderly conduct is seriously compromised. Defamatory or abusive remarks are

always out of order and any person may be removed from the meeting if they are engaging in illegal conduct. The

presiding officer may terminate the speaker’s privilege of address if, after being called to order, the speaker persists

in improper conduct or remarks.

If a special meeting has been held to obtain public comment on a specific issue, the Chairman of the Board may not recognize speakers wishing to comment on the same topic at a regular meeting of the Board.

Cross Reference: 4110 Public Complaints

4120 Uniform Grievance Policy

4320 Disruption of School Operations

Legal Reference: I.C. § 33-512 (11) Governance of Schools

I.C. § 74-206 Executive Sessions – When Authorized

Policy History:

Adopted on: 10/24/2006

Revised on: 02/23/2016

Revised on: 09/22/2020

Revised on: 02/28/2023