Campaign for easier public comment at Hamilton County school board gains traction

District 3 board member Greg Martin makes a point in this file photo.
District 3 board member Greg Martin makes a point in this file photo.

A campaign to make it easier for the public to address the Hamilton County school board got traction at the board's meeting Thursday night.

Board members agreed to hash out the matter at a yet-to-be-scheduled work session after Elizabeth Crews, executive director of the nonprofit group UnifiEd, kicked off the discussion with a request to let people speak without getting approval 72 hours ahead of time.

"We understand the need for reasonable parameters," Crews said.

She suggested limits, including two speakers from each side of an issue, each limited to five-minute speeches; a one-hour cap on discussion, and two comment periods: one early in the meeting for agenda items and one afterward for non-agenda items.

Crews wants the board's agenda and supporting documents posted online a week before meetings. She also called for a simplified version of the school district's budget to be put online.

She backed off from UnifiEd's previous request to move school board meetings around the county, saying that live-streaming meetings online from the board office on Hickory Valley Road would suffice.

"I think we need to look at changing it in some way," said Hixson board member Greg Martin, who's been the school board's most outspoken supporter of opening up to public comments.

"I believe as elected officials, we should be able to take the heat," Martin said, shrugging off the concerns about meetings dragging on into the night. "Me, personally, I don't mind staying till three in the morning. I've worked the night shift."

Soddy-Daisy board member Rhonda Thurman said, "I don't have a problem with anything anybody says about me."

But, she added, "We have to be very, very careful when students' names are being thrown around." For example, federal law regulates what information can be released about special education students, she said.

"If you set an hour limit, where do you cut it off?" Thurman asked. If the board cuts speakers off, she said, "now you have even more people mad."

East Ridge member David Testerman didn't see the need to change much of the current policy.

"A three-day notice is not an extremely stringent request," he said.

In other business, the board agreed Thursday night to install security cameras in 64 schools using the entire $2.2 million from the sale last year of the old Ooltewah Elementary School.

The matter needs final approval from the County Commission. Twelve schools already have adequate cameras, school officials say, so the purchase would bring all 76 schools up to date.

Ooltewah board member Steve Highlander made a motion to link approval for new security cameras to the anticipated 2016 sale of the old East Brainerd Elementary School.

He wanted sale proceeds split evenly between the nine school board districts.

But Highlander wound up voting against his own motion after it only got support from Lookout Valley board member Joe Galloway.

"I have a real issue with ... pigeonholing discretionary funds," Signal Mountain board member Jonathan Welch said before Highlander's motion failed.

Also at the upcoming work session, the board will discuss a two-year extension of Superintendent Rick Smith's contract -- though several board members felt that was too soon, because Smith's contract doesn't expire until 2017.

"It was just brought up tonight for discussion," said board Chairman George Ricks, whose district includes Alton Park. Ricks started the discussion by saying the contract extension wouldn't include a raise for Smith.

Contact staff writer Tim Omarzu at tomarzu@timesfreepress.com or www.facebook.com/tim.omarzu or twitter.com/TimOmarzu or 423-757-6651.

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