Manitowoc Public School District

Inspiring Education. Empowering Community. Unleashing Potential.

0167.3 Public Participation at Board Meetings 

The Board of Education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on District matters.

Public-Participation Section of the Meeting 

To permit fair and orderly public expression, the Board shall provide a period for public participation at every regular meeting of the Board and publish rules to govern such participation in Board meetings.

The presiding officer of each Board meeting at which public participation is permitted shall administer the rules of the Board for its conduct.

The presiding officer shall be guided by the following rules:

• Public participation shall be permitted as indicated on the order of business.
• Anyone having a legitimate interest in the actions of the Board may participate during the public portion of a meeting.
• Attendees must register their intention to participate in the public portion of the meeting upon their arrival at the meeting.
• Participants must be recognized by the presiding officer and will be requested to preface their comments by an announcement of their name; address; and group affiliation, if and when appropriate.
• Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to five (5) minutes duration.
• Participants shall direct all comments to the Board and not to staff or other participants.
• All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer; no person may address or question Board members individually.
• The presiding officer may:

   

  • interrupt, warn, or terminate a participant's statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene, or irrelevant;
  • request any individual to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum;
  • request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person's conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting;
  • call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action;
  • waive these rules.

• The portion of the meeting during which the participation of the public is invited shall be limited to thirty (30), unless extended the presiding officer.