For the second time since February, the Gwinnett County Board of Education postponed a vote on a proposed policy that limits public comments at its meetings.
At a recent school board meeting, Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks recommended the board table the vote until its May 20 meeting to allow time for more community feedback.
“I think this policy has gotten a bit of reactions to it and they have been good things,” he told board members. “As we look at all of the feedback that we’ve gotten on this policy, I recommend that we leave it on the table till the next board meeting.”
The policy would eliminate a half-hour public comment period before each regular monthly board meeting and allot 90 minutes for speakers to address the board during each regular meeting, which typically begin at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.
Recent regular meetings adjourned after 10 p.m. and one, a few months ago, lasted until midnight, due in part to the long list of speakers. The comment portion of last week’s meeting lasted about an hour, with about 30 speakers and a couple of impromptu arguments involving members of the audience.
A few parents spoke to ask the board not to limit their speech.
“Y’all work for us,” said Steve Smith, who has a child in the district. “When we send emails, calls, texts and get no response, and then you try to limit the time that we can publicly address you and hold you accountable, it’s a joke.”
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