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Board approves policy revisions as residents urge clearer public-comment access and eligibility
Summary
The board approved policy readings but several community members urged printed access to policy drafts and raised objections to narrowed public-comment eligibility, including a request to allow Middlesex County clergy to speak during public comment.
The Middlesex County School Board approved policy revisions in both a second-reading vote and a first-reading action on regulations, while multiple community members used public comment to press the board for clearer access to drafts and to question who the board will allow to speak.
On the policy items brought forward, the board voted to approve the second reading of school-board policy revisions and approved the first-reading updates to related regulations. Board members described the first-reading updates as clarifications to acceptable-use regulations and related procedures.
During public comment, Dawn Moore of Urbana said she had compared the first and second readings and worried that eligibility language for public comment had been shortened. "I pulled the policy because I had some real concerns on policy b d dh- which also refers to KD R ... I am asking this board to add our clergy members of the community," Moore said, urging that clergy who support students be permitted to speak even if they do not reside in the county.
Later in the evening, Charlene Gram Saluda told the board that policy revisions were posted only online and said that many residents lack reliable Wi‑Fi: "the changes that you're making the revisions to the school board policy which can only be accessed online and we know in Middle sex County Wi‑Fi is a problem ... we can't read it on your cell phone so half of the community will not know that those changes are being made." She asked the board to print copies of proposed changes before votes so residents can review them in meetings.
Several commenters also urged the board to preserve avenues for community input and warned against limiting public comment or making access difficult. The board proceeded with the scheduled votes on policy readings during the meeting.
Board and staff did not cite specific legal prohibitions on including clergy in the public-comment definition during the meeting; staff said the policy language had been reviewed and that the packet included attorney-reviewed documents for contract and regulation updates.
The meeting record does not show the board adopting any immediate change to how the policies are distributed; residents asked for follow-up and clearer public-notice practices.
