The Pflugerville school board is standing firm on a controversial public comment policy that some teachers say limits citizen participation at board meetings.
The school board‘s public policy committee recommended Thursday night to leave a new public comment rule — which only allows citizens to comment on agenda items during regular board meetings — unchanged. The new policy also allows the public to comment on agenda items during board workshops and special meetings.
The board is scheduled to make a final vote on the policy Feb. 20.
The policy committee, which included trustees Renae Mitchell, Brian Allen and Tony Hanson, held meetings on Dec. 18 and on Jan. 22 to determine whether to keep or amend the new policy. Mitchell said the committee‘s discussions on the policy were “emotional” for her.
“It saddens me when I hear that we want to censor you, and that is not our intent,” Mitchell said. “We‘re just trying to do what’s best for our district and make sure we’re listening all the time to everything you have to say.”
Mitchell said the new policy allows trustees to respond to public comment and gather feedback on agenda items.
“We can‘t address you no matter how we feel about your comments and what you’re saying,” she said of the previous policy. “We want to reach back out to you and say don‘t worry about it. We’ve got it taken care of. We understand you.”
Mitchell and Allen assured parents that trustees are available outside of board meetings to discuss concerns. Hanson said many times public comments at meetings are in relation to subjects already on agendas.
“I would love to see it handled at the lowest levels and then work its way up,” he said. “When it‘s coming to us I know it’s gone through these different iterations and there is no other resort for us to work on.”
Hanson said he would like to see board meetings run more efficiently.
“I love what I do,” he said. “But everything I do here is voluntary. I‘d like to be able to enjoy my family. I’d like to be able to enjoy my church family.”
Mitchell added, “For you to have to come here on a Thursday night within a set amount of time … that’s taxing on you guys as well.”
The new policy is in response to House Bill 2840, which became law on Sept. 1.
Pflugerville Educators Association President August Plock, who called the new policy a violation of the First Amendment, said he doesn‘t believe the board will use public comment to respond.
RELATED: Pflugerville teacher says new district policy on public comments stifles free speech
“You have three minutes to give a public comment and they‘re not going to stop the meeting to ask questions and things like that,” he said.
Franchesca Mejia, vice president of the association, said the board has a responsibility to listen to citizen concerns, even if it takes time.
“They are not volunteers,” she said. “They’re elected people who sit on this board and represent the community.”
Plock said if the board chooses to keep the policy, his association may consider filing a formal grievance against the school district.
The association recently started a petition to garner support to combat the policy, but Plock said it has been difficult getting the public interested.
“I think the public doesn‘t know that this is happening,” he said. “How is a student supposed to know what this policy is? They come up here thinking they’ll be able to speak to the school board that night and they‘re told ’It‘s not on the agenda. You cannot speak.’ That’s unfair to our students.”
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