When you have concerns about your child’s school, it can feel like your voice doesn’t matter. But in Georgia, parents have a powerful platform to speak directly to the people who make district-wide decisions — the Public Comment section of the local school board meeting.
What Is Public Comment?
During every regular school board meeting, there’s a designated time called Public Comment. This is when members of the community are invited to speak at the microphone, uninterrupted, for a few minutes on an issue of their choice.
Board members and the superintendent will not respond directly during your comment. However, they are expected to follow up with speakers after the meeting.
This moment is your opportunity to make sure your concerns are heard by the entire board and the superintendent — the people who shape district policies, budgets, and priorities.
Why Public Comment Matters
Public Comment is often more effective than emailing or calling individual board members. Here’s why:
- Emails can get buried.
- Board members often have full-time jobs outside their school duties and may not respond promptly.
- Speaking in person ensures your message is on the record, in a public forum, where it can’t be ignored.
When parents speak during Public Comment, board members can later ask the superintendent to investigate or respond. They can review related policies and even allocate funding to address systemic problems — because, at the end of the day, school boards answer to you, their constituents.
When to Use Public Comment
Many common parent concerns connect directly to school board policies:
- Dress code or student discipline? Those fall under the Student Code of Conduct, which the board oversees.
- Equity and disparities? Those are often addressed in the Superintendent’s Strategic Plan or through board-adopted equity policies.
If you want change, publicly presenting your issue ensures the board hears it directly.
The Power of Numbers
One parent speaking out makes a difference — but many parents speaking together creates momentum. When several community members sign up to comment on the same issue, the board and superintendent must confront the reality that their community expects action.
Organized public comment can also attract media attention, which puts additional pressure on the district to respond. And because meetings are recorded (and often streamed or archived on YouTube), your comments become a permanent record that can be referenced later.
How to Sign Up for Public Comment
Each district has its own policy governing how public participation works, often listed under the School Board Operations section on the district website.
A sample policy might look like this:
Board Policy BCBI: Public Participation in Board Meetings
- Speakers must sign up before the meeting begins, providing their name, address, and topic.
- Each speaker gets up to three minutes.
- Comments must stay orderly and respectful — personal attacks or disruptions can result in early termination of your comment.
- The board won’t respond during the meeting but may follow up within ten business days.
- No retaliation is allowed against anyone who speaks during public participation.
Tips to Make Your Comment Count
- Plan ahead. Write your comments and practice. Three minutes goes by quickly — stay organized so you make your point clearly.
- Tie your comment to policy. Reference a local board policy or the Superintendent’s Strategic Plan. This shows you’ve done your homework and demands accountability.
- Avoid personal attacks. Focus on issues, not individuals. This keeps your comment within the rules and maintains credibility.
- Organize your village. Ask your co-parent, relatives, advocates, or even faith leaders to speak too. The more voices on the same topic, the stronger the message.
Final Thoughts
Your school board and superintendent work for you — the public. Speaking during Public Comment ensures they hear your concerns, not through a filtered report, but directly from the people most affected: parents and students.
When parents show up, speak up, and follow up, change happens.
