Patrons' Concerns and Citizens' Comments

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© 1998
Cathy Newsome. 
All rights reserved.
Last update: 04/03/01

When and how should concerns be taken to the School Board?*

As elected representatives, Board members welcome calls, questions, or comments from members of the public.  Any citizen may contact a Board member by phone or by mail.  Contact information may be found on the Board Roster.

Commenting on Board Agenda Items
A resident, employee, or student of the school district may address the Board about an agenda item on its business agendas.  Speakers should sign up with the Clerk of the Board at the meeting and have up to five minutes to comment.

Taking Concerns to the Board
An individual may want to bring an issue to the attention of the school board.  In most cases, patrons should first seek solutions to specific problems through employees and administrators, proceeding through the appropriate levels--if necessary all the way to the Superintendent's office. 

When patrons have difficulty understanding how the system works or how to proceed through the administrative levels, a board member may explain procedures and policies or refer the patron to the appropriate office.  An individual board member cannot "fix" a problem, however.  Board members can act only as a collective body and cannot take action individually. 

Anyone may phone a board representative or write to one or more school board members about an issue or concern.   Board members often follow up these contacts.  For individual problems, board members often ask the superintendent to report on how it was handled and whether policies and rules were correctly followed.  

Citizen Comments at Board Meetings
A resident, patron, or student may also call attention to an issue through the "Citizens' Comments" portion of a regular business meeting.  This requires filing a form with the Board Clerk seven days in advance of the meeting. The speaker may take up to five minutes at the meeting to comment.  Board members may respond or comment.  However, the Board cannot take action immediately since the Open Meeting Law requires advance positing of any item involving board action. 

When Contact with Board Members Is Inappropriate
Board members are obligated to avoid discussing anything about potential or pending litigation, employee or student hearings, or ongoing union negotiations .   Individuals who approach Board members about such matters run the risk of prejudicing that representative.   This kind of contact could disqualify the Board member from participating in a decision.

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*Portions based  on Your School Board, Your Family, and You by the Oklahoma School Boards Association, with permission.