Carroll school board policy revision prevents comments on specific students

The Carroll County Board of Education is seeking public input on proposed changes to its policy on public participation at school board meetings.

Among the proposed revisions is a change that explicitly would prohibit members of the public from discussing individual students during public comments.

Last month at a school board meeting, parents asked officials to take action regarding reported attacks on Manchester Elementary School students by a classmate.

“They can come and talk about their situation, and we would love to hear from them,” school board member Donna Sivigny said during the board’s May 8 meeting. “But what we don’t want is for parents that are coming in and making comments that make a particular student very identifiable.”

The board’s current policy states: “personnel matters, pending appeals, the actions or statements of individual staff; or items related to employee negotiations are not appropriate topics and may not be discussed.” The proposed revision adds students to the actions or statements of individual students to the list of banned topics.

On May 8, Superintendent Cynthia McCabe said that the updated language clarifies the point that the public should not discuss specific students.

Sahithya Sudhakar, a senior at Liberty High School and the school board’s student representative, clarified during the May 8 meeting that the policy would still allow students to discuss circumstances of their own lives during public participation.

Parents selected for public participation receive advice on best practices when they are notified that they have been selected, McCabe said. This includes the advice to not discuss their child’s life in a way that makes the student identifiable.

Anyone who wishes to provide feedback on proposed policy revisions may fill out the form at http://bit.ly/3R8LFBZ.

Limited sign-up window

According to current policy, anyone who wishes to testify before the school board must register between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. the day before a meeting. Providing more time to sign up likely would make it easier for students to testify before the board, Sudhakar said.

“We’ve had a lot of students that had a lot of trouble with the idea that it’s only open from this certain period of time on this certain day,” Sudhakar said during the meeting May 8.

McCabe said the policy offers a limited sign-up window because it intends to let speakers view the school board meeting’s agenda before determining whether or not they wish to comment. The Carroll County Board of Education holds a regular meeting with public participation on the second Wednesday of each month, with an agenda for the meeting released at around 4 p.m. the prior Monday.

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Updates to the public participation policy were unanimously approved by the school board in November 2022. The update limits the number of public speakers to 15, gives board members the right to correct misinformation presented as facts, and asks members of the audience to be respectful.

The policy states that each of the 15 speakers will have three minutes to address the board and leaves the door open for additional speakers if the board allows. According to a policy clarification released by the school system’s communications office in January 2023, if more than 15 people sign up to speak, first priority will be given to those wishing to address an issue on the school board’s agenda for that meeting. Second priority goes to those addressing issues expected to be addressed at upcoming meetings, and third priority would go to those seeking to speak on other topics over which the board has general authority.

The guidelines also state that “when selecting speakers, every attempt will be made to present all viewpoints of an agenda item or topic.” In any case, those with a connection to the school system – such as a parent or employee – will be given priority over someone who does not.

The policy must be reviewed every three years.

School board meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the Carroll County Public Schools YouTube channel and viewable on the right side of the Board of Education’s website at carrollk12.org/board-of-education/meeting-information, under CETV Livestream. Meetings are also broadcast throughout the month on Carroll Educational Television, Channel 21.

Anyone who wishes to participate during the public participation portion of school board meetings must fill out an online sign-up form at https://www.carrollk12.org/board-of-education/meeting-information or call the communications office at 410-751-3020 by 9 p.m., on the Tuesday before a meeting.