Addressing the Board During Business Meetings and Special Called Meetings
Members of the public desiring to address the Board may do so at Regular Business and Special Called Meetings (public comment is not permitted at Board Work Sessions).
A sign-up sheet for public comment will become available 30 minutes prior to each applicable meeting, and will be closed/removed at the start of the meeting. This sign-up is located at the entryway table, just past the security checkpoint. Only those members of the public who sign up prior to the commencement of Business/Special Called Meetings, shall be permitted to address the Board. Public comments shall be taken in the order in which the sign-up is listed.
Members of the public addressing the Board will be required to submit their name and home address, along with the organization they’re representing if applicable.
*Comments will be read in the order in which they are received, and in accordance with Board Policy 0000 School Board Meetings: IV Public Comment. Public comments will share the 30-minute time slot, in equal increments of time, not to exceed three (3) minutes each. In the event that a public comment is not read in its entirety within the individual allotted time, a full copy will be accessible to the Board.
The general public can tune into the live broadcast of Work Sessions, Regular Business Meetings, or Special Called Meetings via the following District channels:
- 88.5FM
- MSCS School Board Website: www.scsk12.org/board
- C19TV (via Comcast Cable)
- www.VoiceofMSCS.com
- Facebook: Shelby County Schools & Voice of SCS
- Twitter: @scsk12unified & @voiceofmscs
The Public Comment period is designed to gain input from the public and not for immediate responses by the Board to the public comments presented. While the Board cannot assure each speaker of a specific or individualized response, the Board will consider the public comments and any supporting materials provided by speakers.
The Public Comment period will end after 30 minutes or when all speakers signing up to speak have been heard -- whichever occurs first.
Tennessee law makes no specific provisions for the participation of the public at meetings of local boards of education. Public comment is not permitted at Board Work Sessions or Board Committee Meetings. Members of the public desiring to address the Board may do so at Regular Business and Special Called Meetings. Only those members of the public who sign up to speak on the citizen sign-in sheet, which is submitted to the Board Chairman following the approval of the board agenda, shall be permitted to address the Board. Public comments shall be taken in the order in which members of the public sign up to speak.
Public comments shall be limited to up to 3 (three) minutes per person; no recognized speaker may yield his/her time to another speaker. At the discretion of the Chairman, limitations may be placed on the following: 1) a speaker's time to comment; 2) the number of speakers commenting on the same topic; and/or 3) the number of speakers representing the same group or organization.
Speakers will be introduced by the Chairman of the Board at the appropriate time during the agenda. Speakers must state their name, home address, organization he/she is representing, if any, and subject of the presentation before they are permitted to proceed. Speakers may offer objective comments about school operations and programs that concern them. Speakers are asked to refrain from using names of personnel or names of persons connected with the school system, particularly when lodging a complaint. Speakers will not be permitted to engage in gossip, make defamatory comments, or use abusive or vulgar language. The Chairman shall have the authority to terminate the remarks of any individual who is disruptive or does not adhere to Board rules.
All Business Meetings, Special Called Meetings and Work Sessions that are subject to the Tennessee Open Meetings law shall be broadcast live or tape-delayed via radio and/or television.
Legal Reference: T.C.A. § 8-44-102
THE SIGN-UP PERIOD BEGINS THIRTY (30) MINUTES PRIOR TO EACH REGULAR BUSINESS AND/OR SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
Please contact Board Office for additional information