Central Greene bars public from meeting
WAYNESBURG – The public was barred from attending a policy committee meeting held Thursday afternoon by Central Greene School District.
District Superintendent Brian Uplinger told a reporter who attempted to attend the meeting at the district’s administrative offices in Waynesburg the meeting was closed because “it wasn’t advertised.”
Meetings such as these should be open to the public as provided for in the state’s Sunshine Act, according to Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association in Harrisburg.
“Committees are covered by the act,” she said. “The meat of the discussion often happens at the committee level. If you cut the public out of the committee process, then you’ve cut them out of the policy-making process.”
Uplinger, who announced the committee meeting at Tuesday’s board workshop meeting, said Thursday the meeting was closed because “no official action was taken.” When asked if the meeting was an executive session, which allows boards and committees to hold private discussions under certain circumstances, Uplinger said it was not and policy committee meetings are usually private.
“It’s been that way longer than I’ve been here,” he said.
It was not known what was discussed at the policy committee meeting, although Uplinger said no decisions were made.
The school board in recent months was discussing changes to its pay-to-participate policy, which previously levied a fee for sports or other extracurricular activities.
The Sunshine Act does not allow for a quorum – or majority – of the members of a committee to meet privately when they “deliberate” or “discuss agency business held for the purpose of making a decision.” Uplinger said the committee does “eventually” make recommendations to the school board for approval.
The committee is made up of seven members: school board members Rachael Shultz, Beth Hellems, Sharon Bennett and Bridget Montgomery and administrators Tammy Mandich, Edith Woods and Uplinger. At least five committee members were present for Thursday’s meeting, forming a quorum.
When asked if he thought the public was being taken out of the policy-making process, Uplinger said the four board members on the committee represent the public at the committee meetings.
“The board is the public,” he said. “They are elected by the public.”
Melewsky, however, said it doesn’t matter who’s on the committee if that group “renders advice on agency business,” their meetings should be public. She said “this is not an uncommon issue with government agencies,” but one that is not permitted under the law.
Sharon Bennett, who sits on both the school board and policy committee, said the board has several different committees made up of four board members and other people in the district.
“We had training on the Sunshine Law right after I started on the board, and we have to report routinely so I’m sure that we’re in compliance with everything,” Bennett said Friday.
The other three school board members on the committee could not be reached for comment Friday.
Kirk King, solicitor for Central Greene, declined to comment on the meeting, saying he didn’t know about it. However, he was present at Tuesday’s board meeting when the policy committee meeting date was announced.