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A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 16, 2000
Citrus County voters who supported the candidacy of Carol Snyder should be pleased with their choice.
At her very first School Board meeting Tuesday, Snyder put her colleagues on notice that she will work to reform several longstanding policies, each of which has worked to discourage the public's involvement in the district.
Specifically, Snyder said she wants to:
Vary meeting times to make it more convenient for the public to attend the board's meetings, which now begin at 4 p.m. and are conducted in a room that often is empty except for a few staff members.
Allow the public to speak at any time on any topic under discussion by the board, instead of requiring comments only during designated intervals in the meetings.
Discard the timer that limits public speakers to three or five minutes, with a provision that common sense be employed on the rare occasions that a large group gathers to comment on a particular subject.
Make the board's agenda and backup data more accessible to the public by placing them in all public libraries and on the Internet, as proposed by member Pat Deutschman.
Make the prayers offered at the beginning of board meetings more inclusive of all religious faiths by eliminating references to specific deities, such as Jesus Christ.
All of Snyder's proposals address policies and practices that are contrary to encouraging the public to participate in its government.
For too long, School Board members and some administrators have operated from the premise that the public is a necessary annoyance and that it is incapable of understanding the complex social and financial issues that come before the board. Two members who perpetuated that audacious myth, Carl Hansen and Mark Stone, are no longer on the board, and the addition of Snyder and teacher Ginger Bryant, who holds similar progressive views about doing the public's business, offer promise that positive change is possible.
It is not in the interest of good government to stifle the public or make its involvement inconvenient. Snyder recognizes that concept, as well as the reality that it is in need of correction on this board. Instead of making it more difficult for taxpayers, the board should be begging residents to attend its meetings and to share their concerns and opinions, especially dissenting ones. Without that input, the board members limit themselves to being influenced by only the select few who have access to them.
We encourage Snyder to be resolute in her pursuit of these reforms, and suggest she not stop there. School Board meetings, like the County Commission, should be televised and carried as a public service by the local cable systems. That would be a natural extension of the initiatives Snyder unveiled Tuesday, and also could be an educational tool for students who are interested in audiovisual studies.
But for now, Snyder's efforts, and her willingness to introduce them promptly, deserve a round of applause.