Stiffle Public Participation

Watch the board carefully.  Now the Ellicott School Board is trying to stiffle public participation at the board meetings.  Yes you read correctly.  Beginning in the August 19th board meeting the school board began to re-write district policy BEDH - Public participation at Board meetings.  The intent is to reword the policy to allow the school board to "move public participation from one meeting to the next".  If the school board agenda is full "then we would move the public participation phase to the next's month meeting" was the statement from the board president Todd Schainost at the September 23rd board meeting.  The outcry from the citizens attending the meeting was immediate and loud.  Fearing for their jobs, (the recall petition had just was certified by the county clerk on the 23rd), the board decided to "examine the issue further".  But make no mistake, the board wants to "control" how much public input they will allow, and when they will allow it.  Since the re-written policy has now been "read twice" in public meetings, the only thing left to do before it becomes policy is for a the board to have a  "consent" vote.  After the consent vote - Your ability to ask the board questions, or to request information will be at an end.  Your only recourse is to vote the old board out and a new board in.....