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Committee sends public-participation policy BCBI to full board after debate over agenda access
Summary
The policy review committee discussed proposed revision/removal of policy BCBI (public participation in school board meetings), heard public objections, and agreed to send the item to the full Caddo Parish School Board for consideration at the February meeting.
The Caddo Parish School Board Policy Review Committee debated a proposed revision to policy BCBI ("Public participation in school board meetings") on Jan. 21, 2025, and moved to send the item to the full board for consideration in February after public comment and board member discussion.
Staff recommended removing or revising policy BCBI; the committee's staff representative said they were "in favor of retracting the or or removing this request for item to be placed on agenda with policy BCBI" and recommended removing the policy language that allows public requests to be placed on an agenda. (Superintendent's staff remarks.)
Several members of the public and multiple board members objected to removing the policy without an alternate process in place. John Glover, a resident, told the committee: "For you to tell me, a citizen, that you no longer have the right to submit in writing as that part of the request for item to be placed on agenda to be considered, I think it is worse than saying that your solace in my voice. You do not get to decide for me, a citizen, what I get to decide." Jackie Lance Dillon, president of Red Riverview, urged careful handling and said a committee process for consideration could address presentation requests.
Board member Don Little and others proposed alternatives to centralizing agenda control with only the board president and superintendent, including a draft (not finalized) that would allow four board members to place an item on an agenda. Attorney Abrams explained that adding an item that was listed as "discussion only" on the committee agenda required unanimous consent of the committee to move forward as a recommendation to the full board.
After public comment and discussion, the committee agreed by unanimous consent of members present to include policy BCBI in the motion recommending items to the full Caddo Parish School Board. The committee therefore will forward the proposed BCBI revision to the full board for consideration at the February meeting.
