For those of you that have asked if there will be public comment at the 11/22/2022 School Board meeting. The school district has responded, NO.
“tomorrow’s portion of the budget process is just for the Interim Superintendent to present his proposed school budget draft to the Board and Budget Committee for their review. There will be time for Public Comment over the next several weeks as each group presents their portion of the proposed budget to the Board and Budget Committee during Budget Workshops, as well as the Budget Public Hearing on January 12.
Londonderry School District Facebook Page 11/21/2022
The school district may want to educate itself on current New Hampshire statutes.
I was sent Senate Bill 410 earlier tonight. SB 410 passed on July 8, 2022 and effective September 6, 2022 seems to contradict the School District.
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two
AN ACT relative to public comment periods at school district meetings and meetings of the state board of education.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
333:1 New Subdivision; School Board Public Comment Period. Amend RSA 189 by inserting after section 73 the following new subdivision:
School Board Public Comment Period
189:74 School Board Public Comment Period.
I. School boards shall provide the opportunity for the public to comment on school district matters at a meeting of the school board held under RSA 91-A:2. The public comment period shall be for no less than 30 minutes. School boards may request that persons register in advance of the meeting, but may not require pre-registration as a condition of participating in the public comment period. School boards may impose reasonable time limits for each speaker, provided such time limits are equal for all speakers. Nothing in this section shall restrict school boards from establishing other reasonable standards for the public comment period, provided such standards are imposed equally for all speakers. School boards may reasonably restrict public comments that disclose student personally-identifiable information, teacher personally-identifiable information, or other confidential or privileged information.
II. The requirement that a school board shall provide the opportunity for the public to comment on school district matters at a meeting of the school board shall not apply to emergency meetings under RSA 91-A:2, II.
III. The requirement that a school board shall provide the opportunity for the public to comment on school district matters at a meeting of the school board shall not apply when the sole purpose of the school board meeting is to enter non-public session under RSA 91-A:3.
333:2 New Section; State Board of Education; Public Comment Period. Amend RSA 21-N by inserting after section 10 the following new section:
21-N:10-a State Board of Education Public; Comment Period. The state board of education shall provide the opportunity for the public comment on educational matters at meetings of the state board. The public comment period shall be for no less than 30 minutes. The state board of education may request that persons register in advance of the meeting, but may not require pre-registration as a condition of participating in the public comment period. The state board of education may impose reasonable time limits for each speaker, provided such time limits are equal for all speakers. Nothing in this section shall restrict the state board of education from establishing other reasonable standards for the public comment period, provided such standards are imposed equally for all speakers. The state board of education may reasonably restrict public comments that disclose student personally-identifiable information, teacher personally-identifiable information, or other confidential or privileged information.
333:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
Approved: July 08, 2022
Effective Date: September 06, 2022