School Board Changes Public Comment Period, Ends Audio Taping

In a move that critics contended violated the board's own policies and the state's Sunshine Act, the Central Bucks School Board on Tuesday voted to move some of the public comment period to the end of its regular meetings.

Board members also voted to cease audio taping of the meetings. Board president Paul Faulkner said after the meeting that district officials rarely used the audio tapings, and since they're not required by law, the board decided to drop them.

Both changes did little to restore the confidence of parents already upset at the board over its handling of the changes to the district's middle school schedule.

Sarah Kempke was just one of many speakers who once again took to the podium to assail the board over its actions the past few weeks. Pushing the comment period to the end of the meeting negates the spirit of open government, Kempke said.

"The reason it's at the beginning is so you can listen to us before you vote," Kempke said. "You're required to listen to us, because you represent us. Moving public comment after your action...shows you have completely lost touch with your purpose here - to represent the public."

But after the meeting, Faulkner said the change to the public comment timing wasn't as drastic or nefarious as the critics were making out.

Each meeting now will offer two opportunities for public comment, Faulkner said - one at the beginning of the meeting and one at the end.

"If someone wants to comment on an action item on that night's agenda, they can still do that at the beginning," Faulkner said. "Comment on items that are not on that night's agenda will wait til the end."

Other area governmental entities, including the Bucks County Commissioners, use the same system, where comment on agenda items comes at the beginning of the meeting, then the floor is opened up at the end for comment on any subject.

Faulkner told Doylestown Patch he suggested moving back the off-agenda comments to encourage audience members to stay through the actual board meeting itself.

"We've heard that people say they don't know what we're doing," Faulkner said. "Well, on average, the entire group gets up en masse after they've had their say and leaves before the actual business begins."

They sure weren't leaving Tuesday.

Speaker after speaker - mothers, fathers, a teacher or two, and even an elementary school student - waited to take the podium, as they've done every two weeks since Feb. 28.

Their message was the same: rescind the changes to the middle school schedule and engage the community in a conversation about the plan. Do a better job of explaining how the curriculum would be affected.

But most importantly, ask parents and teachers if they have better ideas.

"You have failed to think of change as an opportunity," chastened Allyson Montgomery, a mother of three children in CB schools.

When little Josie Hall stood before the podium, she could barely see over the top of it.

In a thin voice, the 10-year-old carefully read her statement.

"All you're doing is scaring people," said Josie, a student at Doyle Elementary. "Teachers are scared for their jobs, parents are scared for the education of their children, children are scared for not just their own education, but the education of their peers and friends.

"But I don't think we're the only ones. I think some of you are scared too," she told the board. "I think that not all of you agree with this decision. I think that you are too scared to stand up for what's right, because you think you'll lose your job, but you know what? I'm scared too. I'm afraid that none of this will make a difference and I'll just have to deal with the fact that I'm not going to get the education I want, the education I need, but I'm still here.

"I'm standing up here even though I am afraid. So why not? Don't be scared. If you truly care about the education of CB students, you'll stand up and fight for what's right."

After the public comment, a couple board members spoke.

"We're trying to do the best we can," said Tyler Tomlinson, who represents Doylestown Township. "We're here to make the district the best it can be."

Joe Jagelka, who represents Buckingham, encouraged audience members to attend the board's committee meetings, where most of the discussion and debate takes place.

"What you see happen up here is the result of those discussions," Jagelka said. "Meetings are not held in secret; they're on the calendar. Show up. We want you there."

The board took no action and gave no indication that it plans to back down from the new middle school schedule, which it approved unanimously on Feb. 14.

The new plan changes the schedule for the district's 5,000-some middle schoolers from 7 down to 6 periods and lengthens class time by 10 minutes from 46 minutes to 56 minutes.

Students still will be required to take all the "special" subject areas except computer applications; that course will be eliminated, and some of its topics folded into other courses, the board has said.

The opponents vowed to continue protesting.

"See you back here in two weeks, everybody," called out Mary K. Bingler, of Doylestown, as the meeting broke up.