Schools

Board of Ed to Move Forward With Measures to Broadcast Meetings

Meetings will be videotaped by Summit High Schools students and an audio conference will also be available.

The Summit Board of Education voted unanimously to move ahead with a two-fold plan to air its workshop and regular meetings.

Communications Committee chair Katherine Kalin said she and her colleagues "considered the full gamut of options" and presented what they agreed offers the most immediate and cost-effective alternative. 

Meetings will be videotaped by Summit High School students and aired early the following week on Hilltopper TV, Kalin explained. Simultaneously, an audio conference will be offered. Those interested can dial in and hear the meetings live. Callers will be muted. Kalin said this will also be a good way to gauge interest. Should 150 parents call in, the committee would take that into consideration when thinking about moving ahead with live streaming or, ultimately, live broadcasting, which currently presents logistical challenges, Kalin explained. 

Director of Human Resources Dr. Ken Shulack said he will post the positions, open to high school students, Friday. Students will be paid for their time and Shulack recommended hiring possibly four or five to ensure someone is available during exams and busy times of the school year.

When asked if the possibility of callers asking questions during the public discussion period had been considered, Kalin explained that it would be difficult to know that the caller was, in fact, who he or she purported to be.

Board Vice-President Celia Colbert asked if presentations by students would be videotaped. Kalin said the committee had not decided how to tackle that issue but members are aware of the sensitivities involved and televising only the business portions of meetings would be considered.

Kalin said the audio conference could begin as early as February.

In other Communications Committee news, Kalin said issues with the district website's search bar are nearly resolved and a "forms" section has been added. 


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