Local School Board Meetings

Learn about local school boards and be an active participant in your local school board meetings.

How Can I Get Involved?

Using the link below, locate your district’s next local school board meetings and plan to attend.

Background:

Local school board meetings are an important way community members, parents, and educators can learn more about the decisions being made that impact our students. Your local school board has the responsibility to make decisions regarding curriculum, administrative personnel decisions, allocating funding for hiring faculty and staff, locations for new schools, and boundaries for existing schools, just to name a few. As elected officials, they have a responsibility to enact their roles with efficiency and transparency. As a voting constituent, you have the opportunity to share your experiences and stances on important issues related to public education in your community. Every local school board meeting has a procedure for community members who live within the boundaries of the school district to make public comments.

Getting Involved:

Getting involved in your local school board meetings can often feel intimidating and overwhelming. Rest assured that it can be overwhelming even for community members who are actively involved in school districts. But there are some important aspects of participating in school board meetings.

• Review the process for participating in your local school board meetings. Most districts require pre-registration, sometimes up to 2-3 days in advance. The information to register should be on the school district website. See the link at the bottom for all Utah local school board meeting dates. The districts’ websites are hyperlinked.
• Prepare your comments beforehand. There is usually a time limit for public comments, ranging from 2-3 minutes. Write your thoughts down and time yourself so you know you’ll have enough time to make your point clearly.
• Stick to the facts. Share personal, firsthand experience. Share information relevant to the issue you are addressing. Share how you arrived at your stance and why it is important to the discussion of the issue. Refrain from speculating, questioning motives, accusations, or sharing unverified or secondhand information.
• Do not engage in debates with other community members attending. Listen respectfully to all who choose to address the board.
• Plan on staying for the meeting and learning how business is conducted in your district. Learn the stances of the individual board members and how they interact.

Engaging with Local School Board Members Outside of Meetings:

One of the best ways to stay informed regarding school board members’ actions, decisions, and positions is to develop a civil and meaningful relationship with them. If they have a social media presence where they post board information, follow them. Feel free to reach out them via email to express your appreciation or concern regarding a specific issue. Attend informational sessions and district events, when possible. Most importantly, become a well-informed constituent by being an active volunteer in your local schools, wherever possible.

You can find all Utah local school board meetings through 2021 here. Links to each district’s website are also listed.