The most telling moment of the Lowell Joint School Board meeting on September 13th was when the teachers walked out, leaving about 15 people in the room. Considering that five of those remaining were candidates for the school board in the next election that meant that turnout from parents and the general public was almost nonexistent.
We can only benefit from the increased involvement of parents and members of the public, so what can we do to help improve turnout? Here are a few suggestions:
- Clearly state the date, time and location of the board meetings on the district website.
- Utilize the district’s auto call system to contact all parents the day before a board meeting with the meeting details.
- Ensure that all materials presented during the meetings are concise and available for view prior to the meeting.
- Consider holding special meetings dedicated to complex or controversial topics to allow more time to review the information.
- Invest in microphones. It’s difficult to hear the board members’ comments.
- Allow more interaction between the board and the public during meetings.
- Increase the amount of time for public comment from three to five minutes. (If there are limited comments, allow even more time)
- Provide meeting notes on the district website within 48 hours of the conclusion of the meeting.
The only way to address the current challenges facing the district is to foster an open environment for the honest exchange of ideas.
If elected, I will work to make the school board meetings a place where all are welcome to come and share their point of view.
