Dear Editor:

Your article on our most recent School Committee meeting regarding public participation in meetings prompts this letter to clarify a couple of points.

First, all members of the Committee would agree, I’m sure, that we always want to hear concerns of taxpayers, be they parents or not. To that end, our email addresses are on our website. I know we are always open to informal comments around town as well. If anyone emails me, I will answer, as I’m sure all Committee members would do.

Like all town committees across the state, we also open up a portion of our formal meeting agenda for public comments. These comments can be on any topic relevant to the schools. Also, like all town committees, we have a public comment policy (you can see it on our website) to ensure that no matters are brought up inappropriately (invasion of privacy, for example.) Otherwise, we are open to whatever the public has to say related to the operation of the schools.

For comments that contain a question, we usually refer that to a staff member to get back to the person asking the question.

Speaking only for myself, the goal is to refrain from getting into discussion or argument with anyone offering a comment. It’s really a time to hear what is on peoples’ minds.

Interested readers may want to took at both the Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor Boards of Selectmen policies on public comment during meetings. They're much the same as ours. Looking across the state, you’ll find similar policies, in big towns and small towns alike.

Bruce MacDonald 

CSD School Committee member

Boothbay