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Citizens who like to listen to Danville School District 118 Board meetings via the internet will no longer be able to hear public comments. Superintendent Alicia Geddis explains why the public comment segment of meetings will be muted….
{AUDIO: ‘’If in your meetings during public comments – if people, you know, ‘Oh mask or this, or the vaccine or this’ – that’s called spreading medical misinformation. Google will give you a citation. They immediately pull down your meeting. They’ve done it – so the State is saying: be aware.’’}
But former school board president Bill Dobbles says it is not up to Dr. Geddis to make the decision regarding comments. ”It’s a school board meeting,” proclaimed Dobbles in comments to VermilionCountyFirst.com News. ”Dr. Geddis doesn’t have the authority to shut-off sound at board meetings,” said Dobbles. ”And if the Board wants to shut it off they need to vote on it in a public session,” added Dobbles. Although he is no longer Board president, Dobbles still serves on the District 118 School Board. Another Board member, Lon Henderson, pointed to rules of the Open Meetings Act. Henderson told our news department that he is not certain whether it is legal to mute public comments.
Superintendent Geddis adds that even though you will be unable to hear the comments, a transcript of what was said will be available later.
Wednesday’s school board agenda includes a presentation by Danville Education Association President Derrice Hightower. She sent a message to members over the weekend saying she wanted to dispel the rumor of her turning down a board offer. In the message, Hightower said the Board of Education did not offer anything above what was presented to DEA members on Friday, June 11, 2021. ‘’This notion of the DEA turning down money is untrue and is an attempt by some to undermine what was ratified,’’ said Hightower.
Meanwhile, three Danville District 118 School Board members have asked for three items to be added to Wednesday evening’s agenda. They include (1) that the Northeast building remains the Magnet School and be removed from further consideration as a Preschool site; (2) that permission be granted to solicit bids for needed improvements at Northeast Elementary Magnet School; and (3) that an amendment be considered for the 2021-2022 and 2022 and 2023 Certified staff salary compensation package.
The Regular meeting of the school board is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (July 21, 2021), but the board is expected to go into a closed meeting and not reconvene to an open meeting until 6:30 p.m.
The meeting will be held at the Dr. David L. Fields Administrative Service Center at 110 East Williams Street in Danville. It can also be accessed on the District 118 website.
