In ongoing efforts to gather feedback from stakeholders, the School Board is hosting every odd month Listening Sessions for the public. The sessions provide the opportunity for community members, staff, parents, and students of the District to meet informally with board representatives and the superintendent to discuss topics in the schools. Listening sessions increase communication and engagement work that reflect the districts commitment to excellence. Additional sessions to seek input/perspective on topics established by the Board would be scheduled as a special or additional Board Listening Session. The Listening Sessions will take place on odd months from 5:00pm to 5:30pm in the Lakeside Media Center, prior to the regularly scheduled Board Meetings.
School District Citizens who would like to participate in the Listening Session and wish to address a topic must email Michelle Kleist, Communications Coordinator, at communications@isd2144.org by 3:00 pm the day before the Listening Session. Please include your full name, address and the topic you wish to address with context. Only those persons who have sent a request to address the board prior to 3:00 pm the day before the meeting will be allowed to speak at the Listening Session.
As a reminder, any discussion involving personnel, data privacy, comments that slander, or any violations to state or federal law is prohibited.
Board members or the superintendent may ask clarifying questions of you as the participant to gain a thorough understanding of your concern, suggestion or request. If there is any follow-up or response to your comment or suggestion, you will be contacted via email or phone in a timely manner by a member of the board or administration.
Guidelines for open forum from members of the audience:
- Total time allotted for the Listening Session 30 minutes with each individual will be allowed to speak a maximum of five (5) minutes. This allows a reasonable amount of time to an orderly, efficient and fair opportunity for speakers to be heard.
- If more than one person is addressing the same topic, the School Board requests one spokesperson to speak on behalf of the group
- An individual speaker should not restate information from previous speakers
- All public participation must be in accordance with School Board Policy 206, School Board – Public Participation in School Board Meetings/Complaints About Persons at School Board Meetings and Data Privacy Considerations.
- Public complaints about individual Board members, employees or students must be submitted in writing in accordance with this policy. The School Board or Superintendent has the authority to terminate the remarks of any person who violates this policy. Such complaints should be addressed privately.
- Community listening sessions are open to the public. Comments made by speakers to board members may be heard by other session attendees. Private listening sessions are not available.
- Speakers may not use community listening sessions to air complaints about specific employees or other individuals. Speakers are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner, adhere to the time limit, follow the directions of the board members and requirements of district regulations or risk being disqualified from speaking at future community listening sessions.
- Comments offered at community listening sessions do not necessarily represent the views of the administration or School Board.
- The School Board and District reminds and encourages all concerns, especially personnel concerns, be directed first to a principal or executive director of the department, then to the executive director of human resources, then to the superintendent.
- District Citizens, staff, and students may not use listening sessions to discuss negotiations, campaign, or promote products, businesses, or services.
- The School Board or Superintendent has the authority to end any listening at any time if the guidelines provided have been violated.
