Board Member Moves to Increase Public Participation in School Board Meetings

Newark Board of Education Co-Vice President Allison K. James-Frison wants to make it easier for the public to participate in board meetings.

At the board meeting Thursday, James Frison sought to introduce a resolution that would change the board’s rules, including longer time for members of the public to speak and no requirement to sign up in advance of the meeting.

James-Frison said that this resolution would further the board’s stated goal of increasing engagement with parents and the community at large. She said she hopes they can make meetings “more accessible to the community,”

TAPinto Newark in March reported on the school board’s public participation rules, which some called “draconian.”

Newark’s policies stand as outliers among other large districts in the state. Would-be publi