West Hartford BoE Public Comment Policy Raises Eyebrows

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Plans to fine tune how the West Hartford Board of Education receives public comments at meetings are concerning critics both on the board and in the community.

School officials maintain the proposal strikes a balance between allowing folks to freely raise issues to the school board and allow board members to complete its work in a timely manner.

Tuesday, the school board completed its first reading of a revised policy regarding public comments and behavior.

The next step is the board's second reading of the policy, including any revisions, and a vote at the Tuesday, Oct. 18, school board meeting.

Some say the new policy attempts to limit the ability for the public to raise issues before the board.

According to the draft, priority would be made for the public to comment on agenda items at the start of the meeting.

But if members of the public have issues that are not on the agenda, they would have to wait until the end of the meeting for the regular, second public comments period.

The new policy would allow non-agenda issues only if time allows within the 30-minute limit in the first public comments portion of the meeting and after agenda-item comments are allowed.

That did not go over well with some in attendance at Tuesday's school board meeting.

"Amending the BoE procedures and policies to further silence the people is not acceptable," said one angry resident at Tuesday's meeting.

School board member Ethan Goldman said he didn't think that was the intent of the new policy, but admitted he could see why others thought that was the case.

Goldman referenced recent, hot-button issues such as the name changes at the town's high schools as, perhaps, fueling some distrust in the community against the school board.

He said the board needed to be careful in amending this policy.

"I'm also concerned that it comes across as an intentional action of limiting and restricting (public comments)," Goldman said, adding he might support earlier meetings to give the public more time to comment at the meeting's start.

"I'd like to look at all alternatives before we say we're going to change the process, because it just sends the wrong message," Goldman said.

The new policy draft has already been finalized by a policy subcommittee comprised of board members and with school administration.

West Hartford Assistant Superintendent of Schools Anne McKernan said the new policy accomplishes two goals.

"It would both allow public comments and allow the board to move to the business at hand," she said at Tuesday's meeting.

School board member Jason Chang, also a member of the subcommittee, agreed.

"This is, I think, an important step to take so we can attain to the business of the board of education," Chang said.

Recently, school board meetings have been bogged down at the start by public comments not pertaining to the agenda, officials claimed.

As a result, many have alleged it is unfair to folks concerned about agenda items and it delays the school board's ability to conduct business in a timely manner.

The policy revision also further cements the power of the board chairperson, in this case Lorna Thomas-Farquarson, to have disruptive individuals removed.

Like many school boards nationally, the growing political divide has created more incidents of disruptive behavior by members of the public at West Hartford school board meetings.

Ultimately, the new policy is not a done deal and school officials said they're willing to revisit and change the draft if need be.

Said Chang, "I'm convinced that we can revisit this and we can get it right."

To watch the Sept. 6 West Hartford Board of Education meeting, click on this link.

To see a written version of the proposed policy change, click on this link.