PUBLIC COMMENT GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES (Updated July 11, 2023)
ACCESS TO BOARD MEETING BROADCASTS
The school system is committed to accessible communication with its stakeholders. Accordingly, the scheduled Board of Education meetings will be broadcast online through the Live Meeting Broadcast and BCPS-TV (Comcast Xfinity channel 73, Verizon FiOS channel 34).
ATTENDING THE BOARD MEETING IN PERSON
Members of the public may attend the Board meeting in person based on room capacity, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited additional seating is available in the event the Board room is at capacity; however, if no seats are available, additional attendees may not be able to enter the building until there are seats.
WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS
The Board accepts written comments from the public, which may be e-mailed; all comments will be distributed to the Board of Education members. By sending an e-mail, submitters acknowledge that any e-mail, including the contents of the e-mail, the full name, and the e-mail address from which they are sent are subject to disclosure under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA).
SPEAKING AT THE BOARD MEETINGS
Based on Board Policy 8315 (as amended on July 11, 2023), representatives from the following categories are invited to address the Board during the public comment period of the Board’s meetings. A maximum of five (5) spaces will be allocated in each of these categories:
- School system-affiliated groups
- Unions
- Nonprofit community groups
- Individual citizens or students
So that a diversity of viewpoints receives the opportunity to address the Board, when there are more requests than available spaces in any of these categories, first priority will be given to those groups or individuals who have not spoken during the two prior Board meeting. A wait list sign-up sheet will be available 30 minutes prior to the meeting. When the spaces reserved in any of the four designated categories are not filled, those spaces will be offered to those in attendance at the meeting, in order of sign up, for the category for which spaces remain. Note that persons must include their designated category when signing up for the wait list (only one category may be selected).
Public comment will take place in person and virtually at the meeting. Both stakeholders and those wishing to provide general public comment must register online by completing a registration form (see below), which will open one week prior to the Board meeting date and close at 3 p.m. the day before the meeting. There will be an option to join virtually or by phone on the online registration form. A link/call-in number will be provided to ONLY those members who chose the virtual/phone option.
If selected, participants will receive confirmation of their registration and public comment guidelines and procedures. Comments are limited to 3 minutes per speaker. No speaker substitutions will be allowed.
To register to speak at the Board meeting: REGISTRATION FORM – Board Meeting Public Comment.