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Board narrows limit on outside commenters, broadens public comment to include staff, students and parents
Summary
Trustees voted to amend Policy 262 to let current district staff, students and parents make verbal public comments even if they live outside Blaine County, citing concerns about outside influence and a recent incident where an out‑of‑county BCA vice president could not speak. The change passed by voice vote.
The Blaine County School District No. 61 Board of Trustees voted April 14 to revise Policy 262 to broaden who may provide verbal public comment at board meetings to include current district staff, students and parents who live outside Blaine County.
Board members and the superintendent said the policy change responds to concerns about outside influence on local meetings and to a recent example in which Brenda Southwick, vice president of the BCA, was unable to speak because she lives outside the county. The chair said the revision is intended to allow “current VCSD staff, students, and parents” to participate when district business directly affects them; the board adopted the change after a motion, a second, and a voice vote.
The board emphasized that written public comments will continue to be posted to the agenda and website, but that the district may redact portions of written submissions when necessary for student privacy or personnel reasons. The chair and administration stressed that any withholding or redaction decisions must be content neutral and are made to protect privacy rather than to suppress viewpoints. The policy amendment was placed on the action portion of the agenda to allow an immediate remedy rather than following the usual multi‑month policy committee process.
The change took effect when the motion carried at the April meeting. Trustees did not record a roll‑call vote in the minutes; the action was approved by the unanimous voice method used during the meeting. The district indicated it would update procedures to reflect the new definition of eligible commenters and continue to post received written comments online with redactions as required.
The board proceeded to the public comment period immediately after the vote, welcoming speakers under the broadened rule.
