About School Committee Meetings
Click here to view the 2024 School Committee meeting calendar (Spanish/español)
The meeting agenda, Zoom link, and public comment sign up form will be posted here two days prior to the meeting.
In accordance with MA Open Meeting Law, all Committee meetings are posted at least 48 hours in advance with the City of Boston's Office of the City Clerk. Archived meeting documents are posted by date. To receive meeting agendas in advance via email, contact the School Committee Office at lparvex@bostonpublicschools.org .org and ask to join the School Committee listserv.
The Committee convenes to adopt, review, and modify policies and practices that support the sound operations of the Boston Public Schools and that enhance teaching and learning and improved student achievement. On the first Monday of the year, the Committee holds its annual organizational meeting, at which time the members elect a Chair and Vice Chair and determine the meeting schedule for the upcoming calendar year.
Interpretation: Simultaneous interpretation services will be provided throughout the meeting in Spanish, Cabo Verdean, Haitian Creole, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and American Sign Language (ASL). To request interpretation services in a language other than those listed above, please email a request to esullivan3@bostonpublicschools.org at least seven (7) days before the meeting. Every effort will be made to fulfill the request. However, services cannot be guaranteed.
Rules for Public Comment
The public comment sign up form is posted here 48 hours prior to each meeting. Sign up for public comment closes one hour before the start of the meeting. For remote meetings, please unmute yourself and turn on your camera when it is your turn to testify. Only speakers who turn on their camera will be allowed to testify; speakers who do not wish to be on camera can submit their testimony in writing to lparvex@bostonpublicschools.org . Speakers must begin their remarks by stating their name, affiliation, and neighborhood of residence.
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Each School Committee meeting will feature one (1) 60-minute public comment period immediately following the Superintendent's Oral Report. The Chair would have discretion as to the length of the period.
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The Chair has the discretion to allow for an additional comment period immediately following the report presentations. The length of the comment period will be determined by the Chair.
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Each speaker will have three (3) minutes to testify. The Executive Secretary will announce when one (1) minute remains, followed by a 30-second warning.
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If twenty (20) or more speakers sign up to testify, time is reduced to two (2) minutes per individual.
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Written testimony is appreciated and encouraged.
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Speakers may not reassign their time to others.
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Speakers must begin their remarks by stating their name and affiliation. TV cameras will only record speakers who face the committee.
Rules of Conduct at Meetings Convened by the School Committee
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All attendees must be seated. No one will be admitted to the School Committee Chambers once capacity is reached. (Official capacity, per Fire Marshall, is 202 people).
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Anyone who wishes to record or photograph the meeting must first notify the Chair, who will then inform the public (per Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, July 2010). Such audio or video recording may not interfere with the meeting.
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If a person continues to disrupt the meeting after a clear warning, the Chair has the authority to order that person to leave. If the person does not leave, authorities may be called (per Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, July 2010).
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Any signage must not prohibit the participation of others. The Chair will use his/her discretion.
Broadcasts
School Committee meetings are broadcast live on Boston City Television through the Mayor's Office of Cable Communications. You can view the meetings live on Comcast Channel 26, RCN Channel 13, and Fios Channel 1962. You can also watch the livestream of the meetings on the internet by clicking here. To watch previous meetings on-line in the School Committee archives or by visiting the Boston City Cable Office video library.
