The Senate Education and Career Development Committee heard testimony from six people Wednesday about a bill that would require school boards to allow for public comment at meetings.
House Bill 1130, authored by Rep. Timothy O’Brien, R-Evansville, requires a school board to allow public comment at a public meeting and virtual meeting during a declared disaster emergency.
The bill states the school board “may adopt reasonable rules” for public comment, like setting limits on the amount of time each person gets to speak, but each person may not be allotted less than three minutes to speak.
But, the bill allows a school board to take “reasonable steps to maintain order in a meeting, including removal of any person who is willfully disruptive of the meeting.”
O’Brien told the senate committee Wednesday that “public input is vital.”
“Hoosiers must be able to voice their opinions on the matters impacting them and their communities. Hoosiers deserve to have their voices heard, especially when it comes to their children’s education,” O’Brien said.
The six people who addressed the committee said they mostly supported the bill but recommended some changes.
Rachel Burke, a member of the Warren Township School Board, said she opposes the bill “but only in it’s current form.”
“I support the heart of what the bill is trying to get at. I have some issues with some details,” Burke said.
Burke requested that the word “public” be better defined. For example, the Warren Township school board limits public comment to district residents, business owners, parents, children and employees and their family members.
“Those are the people whose input is important to me,” Burke said. “Someone from a different county, someone from a different school district, someone from a different state their input has less meaning for how I would like to respond and be able to run my local school district.”
Burke also said the senators should consider a public comment time frame — whether that be one hour or two hours — because meetings can last up to four hours and to definite meeting because most boards meet for training or informational purposes outside of public meetings.
Stephen Key, executive director and general counsel of the Hoosier State Press Association, said the organization supports the bill.
Over the years, Key said he’s heard from people who attended a local meeting with the hopes of addressing the respective board “and then be surprised or shocked over the fact that they only had the right to observe and record.”
“A lot of times they end up walking away angry because they can’t speak, so I think this addresses that issue with school boards. We do think this is a step forward in the open door law,” Key said.
Key said the senators should consider adding charter schools to the bill as well as potential language about when public comment should be heard during the meeting.
Corrine Youngs, policy director and legislative counsel for the Office of the Indiana Attorney General, said Attorney General Todd Rokita supports the bill.
“Parents from all over the state have contacted the attorney general concerned that their school boards are not or will not hear them,” Youngs said.
Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, asked Youngs how many parents have contacted the attorney general. Youngs said she didn’t have a number but that the attorney general “has been talking to constituents across the state.”
“I think having a better idea of exactly how many people are writing in would help us as policymakers, so I’m sad that you didn’t bring that information,” Ford said.
Troy James, from West Lafayette, said that school board members “are quick to point out and take credit for things that go well” but don’t discuss things that need improvement.
While school board members can communicate with the public during meetings, through email and the media, James said, community members don’t have that voice.
“One of the only ways to communicate issues to fellow community members is through public comments at school board meetings,” James said. “If this resource is not available to the community the voters may be left in the dark regarding school-related issues.”
James said the bill doesn’t go far enough and suggested that the bill expand the definition of meeting and ensure that limits on public comment are applied equally.
“The public has the right to know what is going on in their local schools and how taxpayer resources are being used,” James said.
Gail Zeheralis, public policy and political affairs specialist for the Indiana State Teachers Association, said the group supports the bill generally, though “there are some particulars still needed to achieve the balance that I think we’re all trying to achieve here.”
The bill should consider the different types of meetings that school boards hold — from executive sessions to committee work — as well as charter schools, Zeheralis said.
“We know there’s some massaging left to do but we appreciate the efforts and the bills on both sides,” Zeheralis said.
The committee will vote on the bill at a future meeting.
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