NHC Board of Education to discuss public comment policy, data on school suspensions

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The New Hanover County Board of Education is set to discuss its public comment policy, an update on disciplinary actions against students and a campus safety presentation on Tuesday, May 2.

If approved, the number of people allowed to speak in the call to the audience section would be reduced from 30 to 20. The policy would also conduct a lottery for choosing speakers if more than 20 people sign up to speak.

“If more than 20 participants sign up, a lottery will be conducted, and participants will be selected using a random number generator. Individuals will be notified if they are selected to speak. A lottery system will be used to determine speaking order regardless of the number of individuals who sign up,” the policy states.

Board members will also hear a presentation on school disciplinary procedures, including data that African American students are suspended six times more often than their peers. The presentation also says that African American students with disabilities are suspended at a rate 4.5 times greater than their peers; both of these statistics are for out of school suspension (OSS).

NHCS is the only district in North Carolina that is significantly disproportionate in total OSS, according to the presentation. You can view it in its entirety below:

A presentation on safety procedures in the school district will be shown to board members. Topics include the district’s rule to keep exterior doors closed and locked at all times, phones available at campus entrances and security cameras.

You can read that presentation below:

Full meeting agendas are available on the district’s website.

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