Citizens' Time
Rules of Decorum
The Fauquier County School Board welcomes comments from members of the public to include residents of Fauquier County; businesses located in whole or in part in Fauquier County; Fauquier County taxpayers; current or former FCPS students; parents and guardians of FCPS students that live outside of Fauquier County; FCPS employees and retirees; or representatives of organizations serving FCPS employees and students. The School Board believes that strong community engagement and outreach are important components of a successful school system. The Board expects speakers to deliver their comments with proper civility and respect and direct their comments to the business at hand. The public is to be respectful of the opinions of others and shall refrain from disruptive behaviors, which impedes the orderly conduct of any Board meeting such as applauding, cheering, or any negative response to a speaker's comments.
Where and when is the School Board meeting? Citizens may speak during Citizens' Time at regular School Board meetings held the second Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Falcon Room at Fauquier High School (unless otherwise announced).
Where do I sign up to speak? Citizens wishing to speak during Citizens' Time can sign up online no later than 12 o'clock noon the day of the meeting using the Citizen's Time form (A sign-up sheet for Citizens' Time will be provided at each meeting for those unable to sign up in advance online. Those wishing to speak must sign the sheet prior to 6:00 p.m.
How long do I have to speak? Each citizen will have three (3) minutes to speak; however, the Chairman reserves the right to revise the number of minutes allocated to each speaker depending upon the number of people wishing to speak.
Are notes/written testimony required? Written testimony is not required; however, providing written remarks to the Clerk of the School Board allows the Board to review your comments.
What happens at the meeting? Upon recognition by the Chairman, a citizen or person(s) listed above will come to the microphone. The citizen will identify himself/herself by stating his/her name and voting district. A spokesperson for a group will identify himself/herself and may ask the group to stand momentarily allowing the School Board an opportunity to identify the number of individuals in attendance with a like concern.
Will the School Board or Administration respond? School Board members and/or the Superintendent may choose to respond to a citizen's concern directly following Citizens' Time if they believe it is necessary to correct a false perception or time is of the essence in a particular matter. However, standard procedures for a response to Citizens' Time will be during the next regular School Board meeting.