Gateway school board mulls over speaker residency rule

[HopefulInPh]

Gateway school board mulls over speaker residency rule

By Jodi Weigand
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, April 1, 2010

Buzz up!


Gateway school board members want to further consider whether to require speakers at public meetings to prove they live in Monroeville or Pitcairn.

The board voted 5-4 to table the proposal from board member David Magill. Its policy does not require that speakers live in the district. Magill wants them to show a driver's license or utility bill to prove they do.

"Why would I want to listen to someone from Mt. Lebanon comment on our policies when they have nothing to do with it?" said board member Steve O'Donnell, who voted against delaying a vote.

But there is cause for concern, said board member Dawn Neilly. The district doesn't have a residency requirement for teachers, administrators or coaches and they sometimes speak at meetings, she said.

"So what are we saying, we're not allowing them to speak anymore?" she said.

Though they could speak at the board president's discretion, Neilly wants a clearly defined policy that ensures their right to address the board.

Resident Madeline Havrilla said she thinks anyone with a current or former affiliation with the district should be welcome at meetings.

"I'm against anything that lessens participation, and that's what comes to mind when I see something like this," she said.

Don't let the Penn Hills School board hear about this, I'm sure they would be more than happy to keep their Teachers from speaking at School Board meetings....... I.D. please......