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School board restores five in-person alternates to public-comment sign-up after debate
Summary
The New Hanover County Schools Board during a work session debated changes to its call-to-audience procedures — including grouping speakers, online lottery use and moving public comment to the end of meetings — and voted 7–0 to add five in-person alternates to the sign-up list.
The New Hanover County Schools Board of Education on April 16 debated several changes to its call-to-audience procedures and voted unanimously to restore five in-person alternates to the public-comment sign-up list.
Board Chair Melissa Mason opened a broad discussion about whether groups of speakers should be consolidated and how the board manages sign-ups. Members disagreed on whether the board should prioritize first-time speakers, use an online lottery, allow people to cede (“seed”) time to another speaker, or move the public-comment period to the end of meetings.
Board member Pat Bradford said she wanted more variety in voices and proposed giving priority to community members who had not spoken recently. Bradford also moved to add alternates and later amended that motion to propose “20 plus 5, the door, plus 5 online” as sign-up slots. The board ultimately approved restoring five in-person alternates to the sign-up list. The motion to add five in-person alternates passed 7–0.
Supporters of the change said an in-person alternate list would allow people who appear at the meeting to take an available slot when a registrant is absent. Opponents warned about logistics and the potential for gaming the system; several board members described past problems when speakers ceded time or when groups coordinated to occupy many speaker slots. Board attorney (unnamed) advised the board that policy permits grouping speakers and requesting a single spokesperson when an unusually large number of people request to speak, citing the board’s policy 23-10.
Board members also discussed but did not vote to move call to audience to the end of the agenda. Some members, including Judy Justice, said keeping public comment before votes helps the public influence decisions; others noted that putting public comment later can shorten meetings for attendees. Dr. Tim Merrick and several other members said the board regularly receives public input outside meetings (emails, phone calls, school visits) and could accept either arrangement but that call to audience must remain before any closed session.
The board asked staff to clarify logistics for any future procedural changes (how an online lottery would work, how to track repeat speakers) and to prepare revised language for policy if the board decides to proceed further. For now, the formal change is limited to adding five in-person alternates to the sign-up process.
Ending: The board’s procedural discussion produced one immediate policy change — five in-person alternates reinstated — and left other possible changes (priority for new speakers, online/door split, or moving public comment) for further staff research and future policy work.
