The Eno River Academy Board of Directors encourages community involvement and welcomes public comment during open board meetings. In order to provide an opportunity for input while conducting an efficient meeting, individuals and group may provide comments in accordance with the following policy.
Members of the public wishing to speak during the public comment period should fill out the Public Comment Form, including their full name and general nature of their comments, prior to the start of the Board Meeting in which they wish to speak. Comments must be related to legitimate school business. The Presiding Officer or his/her designee will recognize the public member(s) to speak during the scheduled public comment period (usually held near beginning of the board meeting) in the order in which they had completed their request to speak on the Public Comment Form.
In order to allow as many individuals as possible to speak and to ensure the Board of Directors have appropriate time to address all agenda items, individuals will be allowed a total of up to three (3) minutes to speak about their identified topic. No individual may transfer any remaining time to another individual that is also signed up to speak. A total of up to fifteen (15) minutes will be provided for individuals to speak and no person may speak more than once during the public comment portion of the agenda. The Board reserves the right to modify the time for public comment at any open board meeting.
If a public member requests an extended discussion, it will be at the discretion of the Presiding Officer as to whether to grant further public comment and how much time is allotted.
For the indefinite future while board meetings are conducted online, the School's Public Comment Policy shall be adapted to allow public comments to be made by email (preferred) before the meeting in adherence with the process and timeframe provided before each meeting or by verbal participation during the public comment period after recognition by the presiding board officer.
Public comments provided by submission of email communication shall be sent to the board Secretary, subject to any additional procedures established by the Administration. Such email comments will be available for board member review.
Comments must conform to the Policy's general requirements regarding courtesy and respect; failure to abide by these requirements may preclude acceptance or require redaction of non-permissible content, to the extent legally permissible.
All speakers should be courteous in language and demeanor, respectful and present themselves in a professional manner during their allotted time. Speakers should not speak about any individual student, teacher, staff member or board member by name and may not engage in any personal attacks. Any speaker who does not abide by this policy and creates disorder will be asked to leave the meeting. Under North Carolina law (General Statue, N.C.G.S. § 143-318.17), there can be legal consequences for individuals who do not adhere to public meeting protocol. “A person who willfully interrupts, disturbs, or disrupts an official meeting and who, upon being directed to leave the meeting by the presiding officer, willfully refuses to leave the meeting is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.” (1979, c.655, s.1; 1993, c.539, s.1028; 1994, Ex. Sess., c.24, s.14(c).) Adopted April 16, 2013.
