The open-meetings act that was revised Jan. 1, 2010, is a law that allows the public to sit in on school district meetings that discuss how the school district is handling academics, teachers, and student affairs; however, there are some aspects of school that should remain a mystery to the public such as the security of a school.
Although there are some exceptions to the open-meetings act (OMA) that allow for closed meetings such as negotiations, purchase of property, student discipline, and teacher discipline, one of the most important policies regarding the safety of children, teachers, and faculty must remain in an open-meeting setting.
According to Rob Rodewald, president of the local school board, when the school board discusses the safety and security of a school building they have to be careful about how many details they explain and negotiate because of the open meeting policy. Rodewald said anyone can walk into these meetings including "bad guys" who could, therefore, learn more about the security faults in a school.
Even when discussing security problems there is no way around the OMA. Schools have one-way entrances for visitors and mandate that visitors scan their drivers license for background checks, but if there are any security faults spoken about in a board meeting, it's news for all ears.
The OMA is a good thing. Parents and community members who are investing their tax dollars and sending their children to these very institutions should be allowed to hear how the school is handling their affairs. But the mandate on OMA needs to be more flexible. It's more important to protect the life and learning of students than create an atmosphere where anyone is allowed to walk in on a meeting concerning the well-being of children.
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