Open forum ‘town hall’ meeting set for March 9

Although Pennsylvania law requires that the public be allowed to comment at local government meetings, including school boards, the rules frequently imposed can make that a lessthan-satisfactory interaction.

Most boards limit individual public comment to three-to-five minutes per person and many have policies that prevent feedback or answers to questions during the meeting.

That’s one reason the Owen J. Roberts School Board schedules regular town hall meetings in which, unlike regular school board meetings, the agenda is determined by the public.

During the town hall meetings held in the fall, “we found the meetings tend to flow pretty freely and are primarily based on what attendees want to discuss,” said Michael Rodriguez, director of communications for the school district.

“There were no time-specific limits for

the meetings we held in fall, though we do encourage attendees to be mindful that we want to leave time to get to every question and comment,” he wrote in response to a MediaNews Group query.

The next Owen J. Roberts town hall meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the District Service Center building, 932 Sanatoga Road (the former East Coventry Elementary School).

According to its announcement, the district considers the town hall meetings to be an opportunity for residents to share their opinions, feedback, ideas and questions with members of the OJR Board of School Directors and district administrators.

“While the district will provide updates on its initiatives and share important information about our schools, the conversations and topics covered at the meeting will be decided by attendees,” according to the announcement

Those interested in attending the town hall are encouraged to RSVP at https:// forms.gle/uz7r26EhxGWRUPAA9.

The former East Coventry Elementary School is now the district services building.