Changes to the way South Pike School District board meetings are run have some citizens concerned.
Board president Sam Hall announced at a meeting Thursday that the public comments section is being removed from the agenda.
“For the time being, we’re going to hold up on the public comments,” Hall said. “If anyone has questions, you can write a letter addressed to the superintendent (Dr. Estes Taplin) and we’re going to handle it like that for a while.”
Hall said the policy to receive public input now is to contact Taplin directly, and if he cannot handle the issue or believes it should be put on the agenda, the board will address the item. There was no public vote on the matter.
The Rev. Ralph Garner was in attendance and had questions about some of the agenda items, including Kevin Bates and the Kings Sports Foundation being told to vacate Fernwood Elementary School.
Information from the school district presented Thursday says that Bates and the foundation have not signed or returned a lease agreement to South Pike, nor have they paid rent on the facility. There was no further discussion from the board about the matter.
Garner was not concerned that Taplin would not be able to handle public issues but he believes the public deserves a block of time at board meetings.
“It seems to me there should always be a space on (the agenda) for public comments,” Garner said. “Otherwise, that’s alienating the public.”
The only other board member to speak during the five-minute exchange was District 2 Trustee Clara Conerly, who simply responded “no” when Garner asked if the public should be allowed to have time at board meetings.
Hall said the public is still invited to board meetings, excluding the executive sessions usually held during every board meeting, but the trustees would not accept questions or comments from the audience.
“We’re trying to get to where with questions, we have time to look into things and think before we make statements,” Hall said. “By doing it like that, we have time to review it and we can know what we’re talking about.”
Hall said the board was willing to rethink the public comment policy in the future, but for now, the plan is set.
“All of the board members are elected to represent the public and South Pike,” Garner said. “To shut the public out as far as no comments whatsoever, that’s like coming in the back door after something has been done.”
