Editorial: Public can’t just speak up to school board

There was just one discussion item on Monday’s brief agenda for the meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education. School Supt. Pete Kudlak said that parents speaking up at board meetings had been discussed recently at meetings of both the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators (MASA) and the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB). They agreed the public needed to be reminded there were rules, Kudlak said.
So, he reminded the board and the few members of the public present that the page and a half of official board policy, passed in 2020, allowed just three minutes for comments, unless the person leading the meeting allowed more.
Kudlak noted that since he’d been superintendent nobody has been cut off for speaking beyond three minutes. Everyone has been allowed to say what they wanted to say. And, although speakers are supposed to fill out cards with their names, addresses, etc., sometimes they don’t and are allowed to speak anyway.
“We’re laid back and just speaking,” said board president Amy Pearce. “We should be following the rules.” Board members supported people getting to speak out fully on their concerns. President Pearce said this discussion was kind of a reminder. Kudlak said it could be an every-September reminder.
The discussion was “chilling” and nobody asked to speak to the board.