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Winchester board debates a board-run Facebook page; asks staff to bring procedural rules
Summary
Board members debated creating an informational, board-run Facebook page (no comments) and raised concerns about moderation, open-meetings implications and administration; members asked for a written procedural proposal at the next meeting.
The Winchester Board of Education discussed whether to create a separate, board-run Facebook page to share concise, informational updates about meetings, budget referenda and district events.
Members generally favored the idea of an informational page that could reach residents who do not visit the district website, but they raised concerns about moderation, who would administer posts, the time commitment required, and the possibility that allowing comments could trigger open-meetings issues. Board members referenced a nearby district's experience (Watertown) in which the page is administered by multiple officers and kept informational.
The board agreed to ask a member or small group to draft procedural rules and a checkpoint process (who vets posts, whether comments are enabled, and how names appear) and to bring a short handout for review at the next meeting so the board can consider an action item with clear safeguards.
