Just what 
is audience participation?

OHIO — At last month’s Ohio High School Board meeting, district resident Joan Anderson read a letter during the audience participation section of the meeting which she said was mostly addressed to the Committee of 10, a group of residents who want to put a question on the ballot as to the future of the high school.

Anderson wasn’t at Monday’s board meeting, but her comments and those of others were the subject of this month’s audience participation section.

Committee of 10 member Marcia Thompson asked the board for a clarification of what should happen during audience participation. Previously, board president Harold Albrecht had reminded audience members the audience participation section was not a time to argue but to make comments to the board.

“I was appalled when these people at the last meeting spoke for quite some time — several people — and they did not speak to you,” Thompson said. “Nobody sitting up there said this is not right.”

Thompson said comments between members of the audience should be made on their own time, not during board meetings.

Albrecht said such participation has been hard to tolerate and awkward, but it has come from both sides, and has been allowed in the past. He added the current conversation technically shouldn’t be allowed either.

“I think it’s more important to have good communication than perfect adherence to the rules,” he said.

“OK, you’ve answered my question then,” Thompson said.

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