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Parents urge board to restore Zoom for public comment; board cites legal limits
Summary
Several residents urged the Fort Lee Board to reinstate Zoom public-comment access for accessibility reasons; a board speaker replied that state law does not require Zoom and said meetings will continue to be live-streamed and members may direct concerns to the superintendent.
Multiple members of the public urged the Fort Lee Board of Education to reconsider removing Zoom as a method for public comment, saying the change reduced accessibility for parents with mobility, parking or health limitations.
One commenter (speaker 6) told the board the elimination of Zoom shut out parents who cannot attend in person and asked the board to "reconsider bringing that Zoom" or place the issue on a future agenda for a vote. Another resident, Martia Johnson (speaker 10), said she has a disability and asked whether there is a forum to submit concerns remotely when she cannot attend in person.
A board speaker (speaker 8) responded that the Open Public Meetings Act does not require a board to provide Zoom for public comment and that committee meetings are not subject to the same public-notice requirements as full-board meetings. "There is no provision in the law that requires that public comment to be by way of Zoom," the board speaker said, and added that meetings will be live-streamed and members of the public may communicate through the administration or by contacting the superintendent.
The exchange did not produce a motion to change policy during the meeting; board members and commenters were directed to the superintendent for follow-up. The board said it will continue live-streaming meetings and encouraged residents to submit questions or comments through district administration channels.
