School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Bylaw 1-47

SCHOOL BOARD BYLAWS

Public Participation

A. Presentations to the Board

The School Board shall, in open session at regular School Board meetings, accept public comment on matters germane to the business of the School Board of the City of Virginia Beach. Public comment shall be conducted under the agenda topics “Hearing of Citizens and Delegations on Non-Agenda Items” and “Hearing of Citizens and Delegations on Agenda Items” at each regular School Board meeting at such time as the Board determines in its Standing Rules. Speakers shall have the opportunity to speak one time on either agenda or non-agenda items at each meeting.

B. Advance Request Procedure

Citizens wishing to speak during the Hearing of Citizens and Delegations on Non-Agenda Items or Hearing of Citizens and Delegations on Agenda Items portion of a regular School Board meeting are encouraged to sign up with the Clerk by noon on the day of the meeting. However, if citizens do not sign up by noon on the day of the meeting, they still may be permitted to speak during the Hearing of Citizens and Delegations on Non-Agenda items if they sign up by 3:00 p.m.; and, on Agenda items if they sign up by the start of the formal meeting and time permits. Citizens shall be called to speak in the order in which they have signed up with the Clerk. Elected officials whose districts include Virginia Beach shall have the privilege of being first in order of speakers. The time available for the hearings of citizens and delegations at a Board meeting on either Non-Agenda or Agenda items is set by the Standing Rules.

C. Time Limitations

Citizens addressing the School Board shall limit their remarks to three (3) minutes unless otherwise modified by order of the Chairman of the Board. The Chairman shall, with assistance from the clerk, monitor and enforce the limitation.

D. Cumulative Remarks

While public comment is encouraged, cumulative comment tends to minimize the significance of preceding remarks and prevents other topics from being timely heard. Therefore, the Chairman may cut off comments from any speaker if the Chairman determines that comment is cumulative or repetitive.

E. Documents

Documentary support for a speaker's positions should be provided to the clerk of the School Board by noon seven (7) working days before the meeting to ensure that the documents are timely provided to the Board members. Documents provided after that time may not be available to Board members at the time of the speaker's presentation. Sufficient copies (14) of each document for Board members, the Superintendent, the Board Clerk and Board legal counsel should be provided by the speaker.

F. Public Hearing

When the School Board has scheduled a public hearing for the purpose of receiving public comment, the Board shall accept comment only on the topic(s) for which the public hearing was called. All other bylaws applicable to individuals or groups appearing before the School Board shall apply to public hearings.

Editor’s Notes
Standing Rules may be found in Appendix B to these Bylaws.
For decorum and order at School Board meetings, see Bylaw 1-48.

Legal Reference:

Parents, Alumni and Friends of Taylor School v. City of Norfolk, 37 F.Supp.2d 435 (E.D. Va. 1999)

 

Adopted by School Board: July 21, 1992
Amended by School Board: August 16, 1994
Amended by School Board: September 19, 1995
Amended by School Board: August 17, 1999
Amended by School Board: February 20, 2001
Amended by School Board: December 3, 2002