Citizens are welcome to bring a topic or issue to the attention of the school board.  There are three primary ways to do so:

• write to the school board;
• telephone individual school board members;
• testify at a regular school board meeting

Write to the School Board
You can write a letter or an e-mail to the board to raise a particular topic or bring an issue to their attention.  You may address the letter to individual board members or send one letter to the board as a whole.  Copies will be forwarded to all board members.

Written communications to the Board of Education should be addressed to:

     Christina School District Board of Education
     600 North Lombard Street
     Wilmington, DE 19801

Testify at a Board Meeting
The board generally meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.  Meeting locations vary on a monthly basis and typically begin at 7:30 p.m. 

Tips on preparing to testify
Your goal for testifying should be to raise a specific topic or issue with the school board.  Their goal is to listen and learn from the community.  They will not respond to public comment that evening.  If you would like to testify before the school board, please use the following guidelines:

• Try to resolve any issues with teachers, school principals, or other district personnel before bringing the issue to the board.
• Recognize that the board does not discuss personnel matters at board meetings.  Issues or concerns about individual staff members can be addressed with the board through letters or phone calls.
• Do your homework and understand the basic facts of the issue before addressing the board.
• Prepare an outline of your public comment so that it is well organized and avoids repetition.
• Plan to keep your remarks to three minutes.  The board has limited time to hear from all of those who sign up to speak.

• Members of the community who wish to publicly comment on issues at Board meetings may sign up for public comment before the meeting starts.  Public comment forms are available from the Board Secretary at each meeting.
• Fill out the form completely.
• Pick up an agenda to learn when the public comment period will take place.  Listen for any changes in the agenda announced by the board president.
• When the board is ready for public comment, the Board President will refer to the completed forms and will call names in the order they appear.
• to take public comment, the president will refer to the sign-up sheet and call out the names in the order they appear.

Addressing the Board

• When your name is called, approach the podium, speak into the microphone, giving your full name for the record.
• Please limit your public comment to three minutes.
• Be respectful of the board when giving your public comment.
• Be ready to respond to questions from the board if asked.
• Address your public comment to the board members, not the audience.
• Do not address questions to the board.  The board's goal for the public comment period is to hear your concerns, comments or opinions.  Questions can be answered through calls or letters to the board members.

For more information, please contact the Christina Board of Education at 302-552-2653 during regular business hours.
 

2009-2010 Christina Board of Education