BATON ROUGE - After a nine hour long school board meeting earlier this year, the East Baton Rouge School Board prepared to revamp and reduce meeting times, with a measure limiting public comment.
While the changes were intended to expedite meetings, many regular speakers complained saying the result would mean fewer opportunities to support and oppose measures.
The measure passed unanimously, though board member Patrick Martin was not in attendance, and it amended the standing policy for public comment. It moved the public comment time from after initial rounds of board comment to before. Public comment is limited to one comment per agenda item, nixing comments after amendments and motions are added.
During the school board’s summer search for a superintendent, which eventually led to the hiring of Superintendent LaMont Cole, one July meeting lasted nine hours. The meeting was extended by discussions of which board members should be involved in contract negotiations and public comments which lasted hours.
Concerned teacher and frequent public commenter Ursula Parker told the board that the new rule stifled input, insisting instead of limiting public comment, the board should be limited in their comments.
"The only time we get a chance to be heard is when we can speak here," Parker said, “I suggest we might not need to hear from the board twice, maybe just once, maybe that's what we can cut.”
School Board President Carla Powell-Lewis insisted the change ensured concise, well-thought-out conversations, germane to specific topics.
"The main part is to be able to refocus a lot of our conversations and allow them to be in regards to student outcomes and how we can move our district, we can move the needle or kids," Powell-Lewis said.
Several in-person and online comments were concerned how potential amendments and motions from school board members could change the nature of initial measures. Though, if the board votes in favor of it, the public could comment again.
There were several online comments in support of the measure, suggesting it would bring back professionalism and decorum to a chaotic school board.
Louisiana law requires only that the public is allowed to speak, and it doesn’t specify when or that the public should speak on amendments and motions.
“We are given legal rights as citizens, but then at the same time, we want to make sure that we're as efficient as possible,” Powell-Lewis said. “Then also we want to make sure our conversations remain as they should be. We want to be democratic, but this is not a reality show.”
The next EBR school board meeting is Nov. 7.