Policy BEDI: News Media Services at Meetings

The Committees believe that one of the paramount responsibilities of a School Committee is to keep the public informed of its actions.Consequently, the local news media representatives will be welcome to attend all regular, special, and annual meetings of the Committees.

A copy of the agenda will be sent in advance of all official Committee meetings to members of the working press who request it. In the event that representatives of the news media are unable to attend a meeting, they will be provided, upon request, a summary of important Committee actions.

All reports approved by the Committee will be a matter of official record and, upon request, will be made available to the press or other members of the public. No report-in-progress, including all of those on which the Committee has taken no final action, will be released by any Committee or staff member unless the Committee specifically authorizes its release as a "tentative report."

In situations where individual Committee members receive requests from news media representatives for information about Committee meetings, members may speak only for themselves and not as spokesperson for the Committee unless this responsibility has been specifically delegated to a Committee member.

LEGAL REF:

MGL 30A:20

Region Voted to Approve: 10/26/82
Amherst Voted to Approve: 12/14/82
Pelham Voted to Approve: 12/7/82
Effective Date: 10/26/82