MC School Board is too restrictive, group’s reps say
The Middlesex County School Board (MCSB) voted Monday on a second and final vote for a policy change that determines who can speak during the board’s two public comment periods at each meeting. It does not include local clergy who live outside of the county.
Two members of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) — Dawn Moore and Maureen Fairbrother — encouraged the board to add clergy to the policy and allow pastors to speak on behalf of students, parents and families.
The issue flared up in November 2023 when the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Saluda, the Rev. Dr. John Calvin Wright Jr., came up on the school board signup sheet to speak. Dr. Wright lives in James City County and was not allowed to speak.
Wright wanted to speak on behalf of a student from his congregation who had recently received a 43-day discipline suspension. The board rejected his attempt to speak because he was not a resident of a magisterial district in Middlesex County.
“Most of the Black pastors in Middlesex County do not live in the county but they have a sincere interest in our county and the families and children who are part of their congregation,” said Moore. “All a pastor is trying to do is give positive input into a situation. It makes no sense for them to be rejected from speaking.”
Fairbrother said she felt that the school system needed to allow minsters to speak. Ministers often know the overall situation better and can speak in positive ways of helping a family.
The new policy states: “Members of the public eligible to address the school board include residents of one of the magisterial districts of Middlesex County; current Middlesex County Public School (MCPS) students; parents and guardians of MCPS students that live outside of Middlesex County; and MCPS employees.”
The old policy read: “Speakers must be residents of one of the magisterial districts of Middlesex County.”
The board did not comment on the matter at the meeting.
The board did, however, beef up policies on how the public can address the board.
A new policy states, “The board values public participation and it is therefore important for the board to maintain decorum, civility and order at all times to maximize citizen participation and to allow the board to transact public business in an orderly effective, efficient and dignified manner. To that end, public comment will be limited to matters related to MCPS.”
Furthermore, “comments that are harassing or amount to personal attack against any identifiable individual, whether board member, staff, or student and have potential for causing unnecessary delay or disruption to a meeting are not allowed.
“Speakers should communicate concerns privately to the school principal or an appropriate school official. Complaints regarding a division employee should be directed to the school principal or an appropriate school division official.”
During the public comment period a parent, Ceasar Gresham, asked the board what if, “we have gone through the entire process and still get no satisfaction from school officials.
What is our alternative?”
The board did not comment.
