Chair opens public hearing on collective bargaining for Smith-Green Community Schools; no public testimony

The chair of the Smith-Green Community Schools board called a public hearing on collective bargaining with the SGCTA to order on Sept. 17, 2025, at the Smith-Green administration office and read the district's mission statement and the legal notice for public comment.

The chair said the hearing was being held in accordance with Indiana Code 20-29-6-1(a) and board policy 0167.3 and explained that members of the public wishing to speak must register on a sign-in sheet provided before the meeting began. "Public testimony will be taken at this hearing in accordance to Indiana code 20-29-6-1A and in accordance with the board policy of 0167.3," the chair said.

No members of the public had registered to speak when the chair checked, and the board indicated it would wait to see if anyone arrived. The chair noted the time during the session (about 3:40 p.m.) and thanked attendees; no public testimony is recorded in the available transcript segments.

The public hearing was procedural: the board read the required notice and instructions for participation but did not receive oral comments from the public in the recorded segments. The transcript alternately refers to the venue as "Smith Green Administration Office" and "Smith Community School's"; the district is referred to in official materials as Smith-Green Community Schools.

No motions, votes or formal actions related to bargaining terms are recorded in the provided transcript segments. The board did not take any formal vote during the portions of the meeting captured here, and no next steps about bargaining were announced in the recorded material.