Public Comment During Virtual Board Meeting

The Cobb County Board of Education is meeting virtually, via Zoom, as a result of COVID-19. The Board will provide a public comment period to allow qualifying individuals an opportunity to address the Board.

Procedures for Speaking During the Public Comment Session:

• Before addressing the Board, individuals are urged to seek a solution to their concerns through the proper staff and administrative channels.
• Individuals desiring to appear before the Board via Zoom must pre-register using the registration form available here beginning 40 minutes prior to the meeting until 10 minutes prior to the meeting or until the maximum number of speakers have registered, whichever comes first. If more than 15 people register for public comment, the first 15 who complete the registration process will be included in public comment. Once your registration is received and confirmed you will receive an email providing a Zoom link to the meeting which is unique to you. If you do not see the email in your inbox please check your junk or spam folder.
• The registration form will require that you provide the following information:
  • Name
  • Full physical address (no Post Office boxes)
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
  • Discussion topic
  • Whether you are a resident of Cobb County outside the City of Marietta, a District student, the parent/guardian of a District student, a non-resident property owner within the geographic boundaries of the District, and/or an employee of the District.
• Registrations will be approved on a first come, first served basis up to a maximum of 15 speakers.
• The Zoom link received after approval of the registration will admit the speaker into a "waiting room." Speakers will be admitted into the Zoom meeting when it is their turn to speak at which time you will be asked to provide your name and given a time limit for your remarks. Please note that you will not be able to see and/or hear the Zoom session when you are in the waiting room.
• Speakers will be allotted two (2) minutes to speak before the Board.
• Individuals will not be denied the opportunity to address the Board on the basis of their viewpoint. The Board requests that speakers maintain appropriate decorum and that comments remain focused and respectful. Speakers may comment on issues scheduled for consideration at the Board meeting or other concerns pertinent to the operation of a school or the District. In addition to the guidelines in this Policy, public commentary will not be permitted if:
  • The topic is excluded by the Open Meetings Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-14-1 et seq.). This includes, but may not be limited to, certain land, legal or personnel items.
  • The speaker makes obscene, profane, vulgar, defamatory, slanderous, or threatening gestures/remarks during his/her public commentary.
  • The speaker discusses a student by name, or shares other information that could lead to the personal identification of a student (See, for example, Family and Educational Rights Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g).
  • The speaker makes untrue, slanderous or defamatory comments or other unsubstantiated claims about an identified or identifiable employee (While general comments are appropriate for the public comment session, concerns about specific individuals should be addressed privately with the appropriate District administrator).
  • The speaker disrupts or attempts to disrupt the Board meeting (See, for example, O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34)
  • Speakers may not gain an additional opportunity to speak by reserving or dividing their allotted time for another speaking occasion, and may not pass their allotted time to other speakers.
• Speakers must:
  • State their name to the Board prior to beginning public commentary.
  • End their remarks when their allotted time expires.
  • Direct public commentary to the Board as a body and not to an individual Board Member.
• Speakers should be aware that their public commentary may be broadcast live, filmed, photographed or recorded by the District or other non-District media sources. The District may rebroadcast public commentary on COBB edTV or on the District or school Web sites. Any portion of the public commentary that is not in compliance with this Policy (such as prohibited in Section B.2.g. above) and/or applicable broadcast authority may be edited prior to broadcast.
• Any person who willfully violates these guidelines may forfeit the remainder of their speaking time and the Board may, in consultation with the Board Attorney, issue a written notice prohibiting the speaker from appearing before the Board for up to sixty (60) days.
• Board Members and/or the Superintendent may ask questions for clarification.
• If requested during his/her remarks, a speaker will receive a written response from the appropriate Administrator within thirty (30) calendar days.