Click to visit OSBA's home page.
  • Ask OSBA
  • Contact us
  • Team Viewer
for help call: 1.800.578.OSBA
  • Programs

    Let us help
    • Board development
    • Charter schools and authorizers
    • Communications
    • Labor relations
    • Legislative
    • Litigation
    • PACE
    • Policy services
    • Recruitment & jobs
  • Topics

    I need to look up information
    • Ask OSBA
    • Board operations
    • Bonds
    • Budget & finance
    • Charter schools
    • Community engagement
    • Equity
    • Labor & negotiations
    • Legal
    • Legislative & advocacy
    • PERS
    • Policy
    • Public meetings & records
    • Student achievement & graduation
  • Training & Events

    Learning opportunities
    • Upcoming events
    • Previous events
    • Upcoming meetings
    • Previous meetings
    • Advocacy Opportunities
    • Training workshops
    • PACE trainings
    • Webinar archive
  • News Center

    Latest information
    • News stories
    • Legislative Highlights
    • OREdNews archive
    • Media releases
    • Social media
    • Education notes
    • Sounding Boards podcast
  • About OSBA

    Our association
    • Staff
    • Board of directors
    • Board members of color caucus
    • Legislative Policy Committee
    • Rural School Boards Advisory Committee
    • Oregon school board member of the year
    • Governance documents
    • Election center
    • Finances
    • Membership
    • Jobs at OSBA
    • RFPs and equipment
  • My OSBA

    Your account
    • Member resources
    • New portal login
  • Home
  • Topics
  • Board operations
  • Pressure groups

Pressure groups

On rare occasions, a hostile group may approach the board to comment on a decision that the board is considering or has just made. The chair should explain the board’s procedure for handling public comment and that there is limited time on the agenda during which the public may address the board. The chair may ask if there is a spokesperson who can summarize the group’s input.

Alternatively, depending on the situation, the board chair might ask the board to vote to suspend the rules and allow extra time for public comment. Be prepared for a long meeting, if this method of dealing with a hostile group is chosen. With serious issues, it might be wise to schedule a public hearing at a later time to allow everyone a chance to speak.

Under no condition should the board engage in dialogue or debate with the public. The board’s role is to listen to the comments it is allowing.

While the law does not allow you to register members of the public before they attend a meeting, it can be helpful to have a speakers’ list. It is best to announce a couple of names from the list, thus giving the first speaker notice that his or her time to speak is finite and giving the next speaker notice that he or she will be speaking soon.

Related content

  • The board chair and superintendent
  • Sample Oath of Office
  • Appointing subcommittees
  • Virtual meeting resources
  • Special board meetings

Popular Content

  • Ask OSBA
  • OSBA Staff
  • Online Store
  • Contact us
  • Feedback
  • Help
  • Legal notice / disclaimer
  • Links
  • Sitemap
  • Subscribe

1201 Court Street NE, Suite 400, Salem, Oregon 97301
  • 1-800-578-6722
  • (503) 588-2800
  • FAX fax: (503) 588-2813