The ConVal school board voted to implement a quarterly public forum to provide district stakeholders with a chance to ask questions about district policies, school board decisions, and other topics outside of the public comment section of a school board meeting.
Because public comment at school board meetings is somewhat limited, said Janine Lesser on behalf of the communication committee, a public forum could provide an opportunity for members of the public to gain better understanding of the school board’s work.
“This isn’t just limited to parents or guardians of the school district,” Lesser added, “but is open to all ConVal district folk.”
The format of the forum would involve a moderator selected from the school board members – Chair Tim Theberge has volunteered to be the first moderator – with a panel of school board members and ConVal administration. Lesser said that before each forum, the board will distribute a survey for the district to list possible topics and allow for the public to suggest topics of discussion. Three of these will be selected for the forum.
The topic will be presented by the moderator, along with its status with the school board, and the panel will discuss it and pre-submitted questions. Follow-up questions will also be allowed, Lesser said. The second half of the two-hour forums will be devoted to a question-and-answer format.
Lesser said the venue for these forums will be the Lucy Hurlin Theatre at ConVal High School, and there will be live-stream options for those who might not be able to attend in-person. The aim is to hold the first forum in the last week of September or the first week of October.
“This should be good,” Theberge said when the board approved the plan, stating his belief that the district will benefit from having more back-and-forth between the board and the public.
The board also further discussed the district’s approved reopening plan, confirming the amendments they made last week to mandate masks in the “green” phase and the decision to open school in this phase.
Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders also confirmed the level of vaccination that must be achieved to remove masks in a school outside of the “blue” phase – 80% of students and staff in a single building would need to be vaccinated.