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Parent urges Waterloo Local board to reconsider communication policy; board plans open forums
Summary
At a regular meeting, a parent described PTO fundraising and asked the board to reconsider a policy that directs questions to the presiding officer and discourages direct public engagement; board members said they plan to schedule open forums next year.
A parent who has attended board meetings since 2019 told the Waterloo Local Board of Education that the district’s policy directing community questions to the presiding officer reduces opportunities for public engagement. The parent said they had been told by Dr. Clark to route questions through the superintendent and asked the board to "reconsider this policy or at the very least consider scheduling open forums on a regular basis as a testament to your willingness to act transparently." (Resident)
Board members acknowledged the concern and indicated the district plans to schedule community open forums next year. One board member said, "We are looking at scheduling a couple open forums per — like you know one, two, two a year, three a year whatever — so that's something that we're plan on doing for next year." (Board member)
The parent had opened by reporting PTO activities, including a planned coffee‑truck event on Nov. 19 where PTO will sponsor free drinks for teachers and volunteers. The comment underscored the parent’s dual purpose: highlighting PTO support for classrooms while urging better public access to board membership and administration.
Board members did not propose immediate policy changes at the meeting; instead they described an intent to add regular open forums to the calendar so community members have routine chances to ask questions in a public setting. The board did not schedule specific forum dates during this meeting.
