Houston ISD public meetings could be subject to an array of changes to the way public comments are handled following the board of managers initial approval of several rule changes at their Dec. 10 meeting.

The details

Board managers voted 8-1 in favor of the proposed changes, which would include:

• Restricting community members from addressing topics that are not on the posted meeting agenda
• Determining the order of speakers based on the agenda item they signed up to address
• Eliminating the option for community members to speak via Zoom during public comments

The proposed policy changes would not become official until the board approves the measure on a second vote, which board members said will likely take place in January.

While the board signaled support for some of the changes, several board managers questioned the proposal to remove public comment via Zoom following backlash from community members at the meeting.

A closer look

At the Dec. 10 meeting, HISD Board President Audrey Momanaee said the proposed changes are aimed at making meetings more efficient and creating more meaningful engagement with community members.

Momanaee said she didn’t feel listening to community members during the public comment portion of meetings, which sometimes stretch for more than three hours, was the best way to engage with the public.

"When we're here to do board work, my view is, let's get the work done," Momanaee said.

Many of the more than 100 community members who spoke at the Dec. 10 meeting disagreed, particularly regarding the proposal to eliminate the option to speak via Zoom.

What they're saying

Eliana Gottlieb, an eighth-grade student at Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School, said eliminating the option to speak via Zoom would create an unnecessary barrier between the public and the board.

"Eliminating the option for (speakers) to join through Zoom limits community engagement by excluding people without reliable transportation, people with young children, people with disabilities, people with jobs and especially students,” Gottlieb said.

Board manager Michelle Cruz Arnold, who joined the Dec. 10 meeting via Zoom, also questioned the proposal to remove public comment through Zoom.

"As someone who is participating via Zoom this evening, we need to be mindful of the optics we could create to not allow the public to participate via Zoom and allowing the board to participate via Zoom," she said.

In response to the backlash at the meeting, Board Vice President Ric Campo said he would push to amend the proposed changes to still allow the use video conferencing during public comment.

“The community spoke pretty loudly,” Campo said.

What’s next

Board managers can still make changes to the proposed policy before they take a final vote on the matter next year. While the board did not give a date for when the final vote would take place, they said they would likely take up the matter again in early 2025.