'Disagreements' Prompt District 99 To Enforce New Meeting Rules

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — After packed school board meetings have been punctuated by shouting, booing and sign-waving, Community High School District 99 is enforcing new rules for those in attendance. In recent months, district officials have been "unable to maintain an environment where all visitors, students, staff and board members feel safe and are free from verbal harassment and threats," a recent update said.

The upcoming changes include rules that focus on visitor conduct by prohibiting shouting, signs, banners and other items from board meetings. Other changes limit the amount of visitors permitted to each meeting and stress the need for social distancing.

Meetings had previously been moved to larger venues to accommodate social distancing requirements, the update explained. "Increased disagreement" at recent meetings prompted the school district to increase security with the help of law enforcement agencies that include the Downers Grove Police Department.

"Over the past year it has been increasingly difficult to safely and effectively conduct the business of the Board without placing an increased burden on the organization and our community partners," the update said.

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The following changes to District 99 board meetings are set to take effect Dec. 13:

• Meetings will be held at the Administrative Service Center located at 6301 Springside Ave.
• To allow for social distancing, the first 20 visitors who line up by the doors that face Springside Avenue will be let into the building 10 minutes before the meeting's start time.
• Noisemakers, shouting, signs, banners, flags and other items that interfere with videotaping will not be permitted.
• Masks must be worn and physical distancing must be practiced.

Those who do not comply with the above rules, along with those outlined in Board Policy 8.30 and Board Policy 2.230 will be removed from the board meeting.
Residents who do not attend board meetings in person can click the link to view the District 99 live stream. Feedback can also be submitted via an online public comment form.

The update concluded, "We appreciate the community’s interest in District 99 and for your understanding of our responsibility to ensure that we hold effective and safe meetings that do not put an undue burden on resources. Under these new protocols, we continue to encourage everyone to attend our meetings based on availability of seating or to watch our meetings live or recorded on YouTube.

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