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Board advances change to public-comment policy; members debate sign-up timing and 15-speaker limit
Summary
The Board of Education advanced a first reading of changes to Policy KD that would require sign-up for public comment and cap speakers at 15 with four-minute remarks; several board members and public speakers said the limit could curb input on hot-button issues.
The Washington County Board of Education on June 17 approved a first reading of proposed revisions to Policy KD, which governs public comment at board business meetings, town meetings and public hearings. The draft revisions require that speakers sign up prior to the start of public comment and limit the number of speakers to 15 and each speaker's time to four minutes.
Why it matters: The policy change alters how the public will access the board's public-comment period. Board members said the changes balance the need to hear from residents with the practical constraints of lengthy meetings. Opponents said the limits risk silencing community voices at moments of elevated public concern.
Key points from the…
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