Overview
Boards in the Bullseye: Public Comment, Open Meetings, and Public Records Considerations
Issues involving masking in schools, free speech, critical race theory, and other controversial matters have thrust school boards into the public spotlight more than ever before. Many boards have struggled to maintain their focus on traditional educational priorities and operations at the same time.
Public comment sessions at board meetings have sometimes gotten out of control, board agendas are scrutinized under the open meetings law more frequently, and board members or school administrators have received multiple public records requests from both ends of the political spectrum. In addition, social media has become a vehicle for criticism of district leaders, and efforts have been undertaken to hold recall elections of some board members.
Join us for a panel discussion featuring experienced School and Higher Education Law Attorneys, Robert W. Burns, James M. Kalny, Anthony J. Steffek, and Abby (Busler) Tilkens, as they review both the rights and limitations of public demands and interaction with school boards. Practical measures which can be undertaken to balance the interests of transparency for the public with efficient operations of the district will be explored.
