Possible changes to allotted speaking times during public comment to be discussed at tomorrow's BOE meeting

A revised policy recommending a change in allotted speaking time for participants addressing items both on and off a scheduled meeting’s agenda will be “brought” for a first read to members of the board of education at its upcoming meeting on Thursday, October 21.

“At this time, this new policy is a draft and has not been adopted by the Board,” said district officials in an email to the Journal. “The Board will discuss these suggested policy changes, including why they are being presented, during the Board meeting in public.”

The policy revision is one of many being proposed by the district’s Policy Committee; all new and revised policies require a first and second read. “During this process, the Board may make any changes to the proposed policy, may decline to move the policy forward or may adopt it as is,” said district officials.

If adopted, the new policy would shorten the time limit allotted for individual speakers from the current five minutes to three “uninterrupted” minutes for both public comment immediately following discussion on agenda items, and during the time prescribed for public comment on non-agenda items.

The revised policy states that the Board of Education may increase the time allotted for individual speakers in the event a speaker is interrupted during the allotted three minutes by a board member and/or the superintendent.

According to the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) website, school boards generally follow one of three common formats in regards to public participation at meetings. They usually:

• Allow for public comment on agenda items before official district business is discussed.
• Allow for just one public comment time after the board has concluded its business.
• Allow for two public comment sessions, one specific to agenda items and one for general comments toward the end of the meeting.

For the 2020-2021 school year, meeting participants in the Northport-East Northport School District were given five minutes to speak during one public comment/participation period before the superintendent’s report and business discussions. This year, following a board-approved revision to agenda order, participants are invited to comment after public discussion of agenda items, but must keep comments specific to that agenda item. Public comment regarding items not on the agenda now occurs after the superintendent’s report, and toward the end of the meeting.

NYSSBA states that a board’s participation policy and the implementation of that policy should reflect “that the goal is not to exclude voices but to have an orderly meeting.”

Boards may limit the amount of time each person or representative of a group can speak (usually two to three minutes, according to NYSSBA; the amount of time Northport-East Northport district residents have been allowed to speak has fluctuated in the past). Boards may also limit the total amount of time devoted to public comment (for an example, 30 minutes), states the website.

A policy regarding how to address audience members who act in a manner “inconsistent with the School District’s Code of Conduct” has also been added to the “Public Participation at Board Meetings” draft by the Policy Committee, as listed on the agenda for the October 21 meeting. Other policy revisions being recommended for a first read include changes to the Board of Education Sub-Committees policy and the Citizens Advisory Committees policy.

The October 21 Board of Education meeting is scheduled to begin at 7pm in the Northport High School auditorium. It will also be available via Zoom here. Anyone wishing to take part in the public participation portion of the meeting via Zoom must register via this link by 4pm on October 21.