School Board launching new community input opportunity
Jan. 27—MANKATO — Mankato School District leaders are inviting community members to come have a conversation.
The School Board and superintendent on Saturday are hosting what will be the first of monthly opportunities for citizens to share feedback and ask questions about the school district.
"The goal is to be able to have a dialogue with the community," said School Board Chair Jodi Sapp.
The first session is 9-10 a.m. Saturday at Lincoln Community Center, 110 Fulton St., Mankato.
Additional conversations will be held at the same time on Saturdays, Feb. 26, March 12, April 9 and May 7. Future locations will vary and will be announced later. Not all of the School Board members will be at each gathering.
The new outreach effort is in response to the surge in citizens requesting to speak during the public forum portions of the School Board's regular meetings. Most of the speakers have been critical of the district's equity initiatives and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some citizens speak repeatedly on the same topics.
This fall the board generated controversy by enacting new forum restrictions including limiting speakers to topics that are on the meeting agenda.
Board policy long has been not to respond to questions or concerns raised during the televised meetings.
"It's a time for us to just listen," Sapp said.
Board members and district leaders decided late last year they wanted a second less formal setting to engage with citizens.
"It's an opportunity for dialogue with no set agenda, no presentations," Supt. Paul Peterson said. "Just come meet a board member face to face, have a cup of coffee and talk about what's on your mind."
Sapp said she's looking forward to being able to ask and answer questions with citizens who have ideas and concerns, and she hopes those conversations will be more productive than the one-sided forum sometimes can be.
"I'm excited to just chat with folks," she said.
