PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN BOARD MEETINGS

Ohio's Open Meetings Law

Ohio law mandates that school board meetings be open to the public with the exception of executive sessions. In an executive session, Ohio law permits the Board to discuss, but not vote, on personnel matters, property purchases, possible legal action, employee negotiations, security arrangements, and items the law says must be kept confidential.  Additional information can be found in Board Policy 0169.2.

To Speak Before the Board

Board of Education meetings are public meetings under Ohio law. However, the primary purpose of these meetings is for the Board of Education to conduct the business of the school district. While your input is important to us, a public commenting period is generally limited so that we can remain committed to our goal of meeting the business needs of the district in an efficient and productive manner. As a result, the Board has set aside up to 30 minutes during meetings for public comments.

Visitors who wish to address the board should fill out a card (available at each meeting) and give it to the President or Treasurer before the meeting.

While this time is not intended to be a dialogue between guests and board members, be assured that we will be listening intently to your feedback. Issues raised may be addressed at another point during this meeting, at a future meeting, during an executive session, or may be referred to the superintendent or treasurer for follow-up.

There are a few rules according to Board policy that visitors requesting to speak to the board should keep in mind:

• Visitors who wish to address the board must be a resident of the West Clermont School District, the parent/guardian of a student(s) or the parent/guardian of an open enrolled student(s).
• Please step to the lectern and use the microphone so that you can be heard.
• Prior to speaking, please share your name, address and group affiliation, if applicable.
• In fairness to all guests, please limit your comments to three minutes or less.
• Please consider refraining from mentioning specific employees by name.
• Remember that you will be speaking to the entire Board and therefore cannot address or question Board members individually. Additionally, Board members typically do not answer questions during this portion of the meeting.
• We apply these procedures to all speakers and do not discriminate based on the identity of the speaker, content of the speech, or viewpoint of the speaker.

Information about public participation in our Board of Education meetings can be found in Board Policy 0169.1.