Johnston school board rejects proposal to limit public comment to only agenda items

The Johnston school board on Monday rejected a plan that would have limited what members of the public could talk about during school board meetings.

The school board sets aside time near the beginning of each meeting for speakers to address the board with their thoughts or concerns. The proposed policy change would have limited speaker comments only to topics on the posted meeting agenda.

The time set aside for public comment also would have also been cut from 90 minutes to 60 minutes.

"A speaker who attempts to address a non-agenda item during public comment will be directed to stop and if further comments continue, the board reserves the right to remove the person from the meeting," the proposed policy change said. "Repeated, intentional violations may result in a person being suspended from future participation in public comment and/or board meetings."

The intent of the proposed policy change was to restore public comment on the school board meeting livestream. Public comment was removed from the livestream in 2022 over concerns that speakers were making disparaging remarks about staff and community members who had no way to defend themselves.

Instead, community members who watch a school board meeting online will see a screen that says "Public comments are not livestreamed. We will be right back."

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District administration recommended the board approve the proposal to limit public comment, but the board rejected the policy change in a 5-2 vote.

Jennifer Chamberland, Deb Davis, Clint Evans, Derek Tidball and Jason Arnold voted against it. Soneeta Mangra-Dutcher and Lya Williams voted for it.

Davis said Monday that at the board's last meeting, for example, some speakers used public comment to talk about a district learning program.

"It was not on the agenda," she said. "I personally feel that the school board meeting needs to be a place where parents can come to share their concerns face-to-face with the school board on items that may never be on the agenda. I just want to keep that First Amendment right open."

Arnold said the board should still work to highlight how members of the public can connect with board members, including how to set up an in-person meeting.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern and northern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Johnston school board rejects plan to limit public comment