Board Meeting Protocol for Speakers and Observers

The Corvian Community School (CCS) Board of Directors meet on the second Tuesday of each month.  Board meetings are open to the public and follow the Open Meetings Law of the North Carolina General Assembly.  

Productive board meetings are an important part of the foundation for any good board.  We welcome guests to attend and, when appropriate, participate.  Below is information to help guests and observers support the board in doing its work efficiently and effectively.  

• The meeting agenda will be available for guests and supporting meeting documents (non-confidential) displayed via projector or in handout form.  Board meeting minutes are published on the website after being voted on and approved at the meeting that follows the date they were recorded.

• Guests and observers should remain quiet unless called upon for comment.  Board meetings are not a forum for two-way communication.   Board members discuss and vote on topics as a unified voice, and thus are unable to individually respond to public comment during meetings.

• Due to confidentiality requirements, a board meeting is an inappropriate forum to discuss personnel or student issues.  Attendees should instead contact the appropriate administrator in writing.   
  
  

• At regular Board meetings, speakers commenting on items on the night's agenda will be heard before speakers commenting on other topics.  All other speakers will be heard in order of sign up.  

• Public comment is a placeholder on the agenda at each board meeting.  In accordance with Board Policy Document Section 803, the following protocol must be followed when an attendees wishes to speak at a Board meeting.
  
  

Rules For Speakers At Board Meetings (from Board Policy Document Section 803):

• Individuals wishing to make a statement at a regular meeting of the Board must submit a request to the School Director(s) or Chair at least 7 days prior to the date of the meeting, which request must include (a) the name, address and telephone number of the speaker, (b) the topic to which the statement will relate, and (c) the amount of time requested for the statement, not to exceed 3 minutes.  The School Director(s) and Board Chair may schedule time on the meeting agenda for public comment based on requests so submitted; provided, in their discretion, the School Director(s) and Board Chair may delay one or more such requests until a subsequent meeting of the Board.  In any event, each speaker who is scheduled to participate in the meeting as provided herein will be limited to no more than 3 minutes of speaking time.  A board member will signal you when 1 minute is left.

• Meetings of the CCS Board of Education are open to the public pursuant to the North Carolina Open Meetings law (Chapter 143, Article 33C of the North Carolina General Statutes, as amended, and any successor statute).  As provided in the Open Meetings law, the Board may hold a closed session and exclude the public under certain prescribed circumstances.