Board Resolution Aimed to Restrict Recording of Board Meetings

[Rosedale Resident]

Board Resolution Aimed to Restrict Recording of Board Meetings by PHEA
Posted in Issues
At the November board meeting school district solicitor Craig Alexander reported that he was asked by members of the board to draft a resolution that would place what they consider to be reasonable restrictions on the recording of meetings. The Penn Hills Education Association has been recording and archiving meetings since August 2010. This is a public service to the residents of the Municipality of Penn Hills and the Borough of Verona. Regardless of the outcome of this resolution, we vow to continue providing you the taxpayers, access to monthly meetings via our website. Section 711 of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act allows the use of recording devices during meetings to record all proceedings. The law does however state that the agency may adopt and enforce reasonable rules for their use. We firmly believe that this tactic is being employed to make it more difficult for us to provide you with monthly access to these meetings.

The Board and Superintendent alike have expressed their disdain for these recordings in the past. The question is, why do they despise them so much? Attacking our right to provide a visual record of their actions is like attacking the democratic process itself. In the words of Patrick Henry, "The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.”

From the Federal level on down, there has been a movement to have more transparency in government. In 2009 Pennsylvania passed the Open Records Law. The law made it easier for ordinary citizens to request records kept by local and state governments. If the shift is towards more transparency than why does the Penn Hills School District want to keep you in the dark?

If you value this service we ask that you call Superintendent Thomas Washington at
(412) 793-7000, ext. 1210