Mr. Darrell Evans
Washington County School Board
Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21713
Dear Mr. Evans,
As Communications Director of Rising to Learn, a grassroots organization dedicated to expanding the involvement of families in the business of Washington County Schools, I am writing to express several questions and concerns relating to the proposed Public Comments policy draft which was examined at the last business meeting. You will recall that one or more of your board member colleagues expressed several of these questions, as well. We trust that these questions and concerns will be addressed at the July 7, 2025, Policy Committee meeting.
In the interest of making the business of Washington County Public Schools as transparent and inclusive as possible, we ask the following questions:
- What is the purpose of reducing the amount of time a speaker will be given by twenty percent to four minutes?
- Why is there a limit of three topics which may be addressed by public comment?
- Why is there a limit of fifteen speakers?
- What is the purpose of using the word "may" instead of the word "will" when referencing the position of public comment in the agenda?
- What is the location of public comment in the agenda?
It is the position of Rising to Learn that the first three questions relate to the limitation of public input to the board, an undesirable condition. The Board expresses in its policy and in the words of the chair that the public is sincerely invited to share their thoughts relating to Board business, and that such input is welcome. Undertaking these limitations is inconsistent with those thoughts and policy statements. Accordingly, we urge that the period of time allocated to each speaker remain at five minutes, that there be no limit on the number of speakers, and that the only restriction on topics be to those which are relevant to Washington County Public Schools.
Furthermore, because the Board's actions to this point suggest a disinterest in public comment, there is concern that public comment be assumed to be a part of every Board business meeting, requiring that the word "will" be used to so indicate. It is also important for the public to know the exact position of public comments in the Board agenda, rather than simply occurring after a review of the minutes; as you know this has been interpreted differently recently, moving public comments to the end of the meeting, from which position public comments can have no impact on Board decisions which occur during each meeting.
Respectfully,
Roger Stenersen
Communications Director
Rising to Learn
cc: Dr. Zentmeyer, Mr. Guessford, Ms. Beachley, Mr. Burkett, Ms. McCusker, Ms. Murray
Email to Board-Re: Public Input to the Board