Kokomo School Board changing rules on public comment

New policy on homeless children and youth adopted as well

The Kokomo Center School Board intends to change its bylaws concerning public comment. An amended version of the policy was passed by the board on first reading on May 2, and if adopted, it would relax restrictions on who can address the board while further restricting how comment is made.

Kokomo School Board members Karen Sosbe, Lewis Hall, Lisa Hemmeger, and David Emry.

The school board already has the most restrictive policy on public comment in the county, which makes it impossible for individuals to address the board without prior permission or to discuss topics not being specifically addressed by the board at a given meeting.

The bylaw would change to eliminate the restriction on who could make comment at board meetings. Currently, only people who are employees of the school corporation, have students in the school corporation, or live within the corporation’s boundaries are allowed to make comment. With the proposed change, people belonging to these groups would be given first priority to address the board, while any other person would be given the ability to request time for comment. However, comments still would be limited to only those items on the board’s agenda scheduled for action.