How to Address the Board
Beginning March 2025, the Gwinnett County School Board will provide constituents with multiple opportunities to address the Board during their monthly scheduled Board meetings. In order to assure that persons who wish to appear before the Board may be heard and, at the same time, allow the Board to conduct its meetings properly and efficiently, the Board adopted Policy BCBI pertaining to public participation in meetings. Thirty minutes will be provided at the beginning of the Board’s Monthly Business Meeting for public comment by current students of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Sixty minutes will be provided for public comment on matters pertaining to the operation of the Gwinnett County Public Schools or policy relating to such operation during the Monthly Business Meeting
The agenda is prepared in advance of each meeting. Anyone wishing to speak before the Board must inform the Superintendent's Office in writing by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday immediately prior to the Board meeting by filling out the Request Forms below. If a citizen wishing to address the Board needs interpretation services, they are asked to sign up by Monday the week of the Board meeting so that their request can be accommodated.
Individuals requesting to speak to the Board will receive a notification upon completing the sign-up form.
Public Comment at Business Meetings of the Board
To ensure effective public participation, during the 7:00 PM Business Meetings of the Board, the following procedures are in effect. A speaker addressing the Board:
- Should attempt to resolve issues through all appropriate district or school administrator levels before bringing the matter to the Board of Education.
- Must notify the Superintendent's Office in writing by 7:00 PM on the Wednesday prior to the Board meeting of their intent to address the Board by filling out the form below.
- Must provide in advance specific information as to the topic/concern to be addressed.
- The speaker's presentation in the time designated as the public comment period shall be as brief as possible, limited to a maximum of three minutes. The speaker will be expected to conclude his or her remarks promptly when the allotted time has expired.
- The speaker shall begin his/her comments by stating his/her name and the group, if any, the speaker is representing. The speaker may not yield his/her time to another individual.
- The Board members or Superintendent may ask questions for clarification but will not customarily engage in discussion with the speaker.
- Speakers are encouraged to offer objective criticisms of school operations and programs, but to maintain appropriate meeting decorum, follow appropriate protocols, protect the confidentiality of students, prevent defamatory statements and ensure the impartiality of the Board. The Board requests that speakers not directly speak about individual students, parents, or staff members and are asked to refrain from the use of profanity during their remarks.
- All participants and attendees should refrain from the use of obscenity during their remarks to the Board. For the purpose of this policy obscenity means comments (1) the average person, applying contemporary community standards would find, taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interest; (2) depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by Georgia law and (3) taken as a whole, the remarks or comments lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
- The Board grants the chairperson or other presiding officer the authority to terminate the remarks of any individual who does not adhere to the rules established here.
- For Current GCPS Students addressing the Board: Thirty minutes will be provided at the beginning of the Board's Monthly Business Meeting for public comment by current GCPS students.
- For Community Members addressing the Board: Sixty minutes will be provided at the end of the business meeting for public comment by community members.
Please scroll down to see the sign-up link.
Meeting Assistance & Interpreters
If you need assistance with the Request Forms or have questions, please email MySchoolBoard@gcpsk12.org. In accordance with the updated Policy BCBI, the public comment portion will be held during the 7 p.m. monthly business meeting. Please click here to view the Board Meeting schedule.
Do you need an interpreter? If a citizen wishing to speak to the Board of Education should need interpretation services, please sign up by Monday the week of the Board meeting to allow time to accommodate the interpretation request. Please scroll down to see the sign-up link at the bottom of the page.
Gwinnett County Public Schools finds that the quickest and most effective way to resolve a concern regarding your child is by addressing it at the most direct level. Please review Addressing Concerns at School.