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Speak to the Board

Information on Speaking to the Board

What are Speaker Forums:
The Board values meaningful input from the community on matters under consideration, as such input can directly inform Board discussions and decision-making. To facilitate this, the Board will convene a monthly speaker forum. dedicated to receiving public comments.
 
What are Public Hearings:
The Board shall schedule public hearings in accordance with the law and on occasions when it wishes to gather information and seek opinions on important issues affecting the District. Typically, public hearings are noticed to the public at least 10 school days prior to the public hearing; this does not include charter school hearings, as they are noticed as received.
 
When and Where:
Unless otherwise announced, speaker forums and public hearings will take place at 5:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in Conference Rooms 3A/3B at Central Office, 131 West Broad Street, Rochester, NY 14614. 
 
How to Participate:
To speak or submit a written comment, you must register by 12:00 noon on the day of the speaker forum or public hearing in one of these ways:
When registering, you must include:
  • Your full name, phone number, email address, and home address
  • Your affiliation (student, parent/guardian, staff member, or City of Rochester resident)
  • The topic you will address 
  • If you will be speaking in person or virtually
How Long Can I Speak: 
Each registered speaker may address the Board for up to three (3) minutes. Speakers utilizing interpreters, including American Sign Language, may address the Board for up to six (6) minutes; the six (6) minutes include up to three (3) minutes for speaker comments and the remaining minutes for interpretation.
 
Important to Know:
  • Only registered speakers will be able to address the Board.
  • Excluding RCSD staff, individuals who do not reside within the City of Rochester do not have the privilege of speaking and/or submitting written comments at meetings, except when an exception is granted by the chair of the meeting at which they are requesting to speak and/or submit written comments.
  • Public comments will no longer be taken during Board meetings, except at scheduled public hearings or these monthly speaker forums.
  • For the most up-to-date Board meeting schedule, visit https://www.rcsdk12.org/calendar. 
  • For more information on speaker forums, visit https://www.rcsdk12.org/boardbylaws. 
  • For more information on public hearings, visit https://www.rcsdk12.org/publichearings.