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Board moves public comment to start of meetings and limits speakers to three minutes
Summary
The board voted to eliminate the second public-comment period and to restrict each speaker to three minutes without passing unused time; both motions passed by voice vote ('aye').
The Middlesex County School Board voted to change its public-comment procedures, moving to a single public-comment period at the start of meetings and limiting individual speakers to three minutes.
A board member moved to drop the second public-comment period and keep only a single period immediately after announcements; the motion was seconded and the board voted "aye" to carry it. Later in the meeting a board member moved to limit each speaker to three minutes with no ability to transfer unused time to others; that motion was also seconded and carried by voice vote.
Board members said the change was recommended in discussions with the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) and argued that holding public comment at the beginning of the meeting allows members of the public to address the board without staying for the entire meeting. The new three-minute limit will apply to the single public-comment session; the transcript does not record whether the board specified a process for exceptions beyond the previously noted medical or emergency considerations in other policies.
