If you want to speak during an open forum at a Denton ISD school board meeting, you now have to register online by 1 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Meeting notices and agendas are typically posted 72 hours before each meeting.
The new policy ends the yearslong on-site registration at meetings, where people could fill out a card to speak during one of two open forums at board meetings. The board didn’t give a reason for the change, though the new procedure follows a few meetings over the last year that saw a large turnout of speakers.
In August 2023, speakers objected to the opening of a clinic for uninsured or underinsured Denton ISD students. More recently, a larger than usual number of speakers addressed the board with concerns about bullying.
“Requiring participants to register ahead of time gives the individuals and Denton ISD staff an opportunity to seek a resolution prior to the board meeting,” the district said in a statement. District staff will review all submissions and will contact the person for more information if needed or seek resolution prior to the meeting.
When Denton school board President Barbara Burns read the new policy aloud at the most recent board meeting, she reminded those assembled that Texas law forbids school board members from addressing comments or questions speakers bring up in open forums.
Speakers will still have three minutes to address the board during the forums, though the board can reduce that to two minutes to accommodate a large number of people attending and requesting to speak. Burns said the district will continue to allow Denton ISD students to speak first, and the district asks speakers to refrain from sharing personal information about students or mentioning Denton ISD staff members by name. Speakers must be present when they are called to comment or their time will be forfeited.
Speakers who want to comment during workshops, work sessions or special meetings should also register to comment online. At board meetings and at workshops, work sessions and special meetings, only comments addressing items on that specific meeting’s agenda can be presented during the first open forum. The second open forum allows people the opportunity to address the board on any subject.
Prospective speakers who don’t have access to the technology needed to complete the online submission form can call the Denton ISD Administrative Office at 940-369-0002.
The next school board meeting is on Aug. 27 at the Stephens Central Services Building.