The Caddo Parish School Board policy review committee on July 1 recommended a new policy establishing a process for members of the public to request presentations before the board. Under the committee-recommended draft, a requester would submit a request to the superintendent for evaluation; if the superintendent denies scheduling, the requester could appeal to the executive committee, which could then decide to place the presentation on a future agenda.

Board Member Katie McClain, who worked with staff on the draft, said the policy is intended to provide a vetting mechanism so the board hears educationally relevant content rather than solicitations or frivolous pitches. "If there is someone out there that has an education related presentation ... this gives them the ability to at least present it to the executive committee and say, here's what I would like to give a presentation on," McClain said during the committee meeting.

Superintendent Burton said staff supports the draft but urged safeguards. "Staff is in support of this," he said, adding the district must guard against abuse. "My only concern is that we do need to make sure that the policy is not abused ... they typically turn into solicitations of companies that are wanting to do business with us."

Supporters said the policy offers an appeal path that preserves the superintendent's role as gatekeeper while allowing denied presenters another forum. Trustee Thomas Little and others said the policy strikes a reasonable balance and pledged to support it if the full board adopts the draft.

Opponents and some trustees raised procedural and fairness questions. Trustee Barry Rochelle said that in past years board members and superintendents have disagreed and that future superintendents might be less sympathetic to requests. He expressed concern that the policy could leave presenters starting from a disadvantage if a superintendent declines to schedule them. Rochelle said an appeal route is necessary but may not eliminate perceived gatekeeping.

Union representative Carlos McDaniel asked for clarity on criteria and timing: how quickly the superintendent must respond, whether employee organizations would be treated equally, and whether denials and appeals would be publicly noted. The draft presented to the committee included general criteria — educational relevance and a prohibition on solicitations — but did not fix a statutory timeline for superintendent responses.

The committee moved and seconded a recommendation to the full board to adopt the new "request for presentations" policy; the motion passed in committee and will be considered at the Caddo Parish School Board meeting on July 15, 2025. Staff and committee members said they will draft clearer timelines and criteria for inclusion in the final policy language.

Next steps: The committee recommended forwarding the draft to the full board; staff was directed to supply specific approval/denial criteria and to propose a timeline for superintendent responses and notice to the public when appeals are filed.