Public Comment At Board Meetings

Board Room Meeting Guidelines (Pautas Para Reuniones en La Sala De Juntas)

The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County meets in person in the Board Room of the Dr. Carol Sheffey Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis.

Unless otherwise specified, Board meetings are open to the public and subject to normal space limitations in the Board Room. Board meetings are broadcast live on AACPS-TV and on AACPS’ YouTube channel.

The Board will hear public comment:

  • from up to 10 total speakers (combination of virtual and in-person) per agenda item (excluding personnel items, reports, and recognitions) during a single public comment section in the early portion of the meeting.

  • from up to 10 total speakers on items not on the agenda (excluding any student-specific or personnel items) near the end of the meeting.

The link to register to comment before the Board will be posted on this page at 3 p.m. on the Friday prior to the meeting. Registration will close at noon on the Monday prior to the meeting. Those wishing to provide comment must register through that link. Speakers may sign up for no more than two agenda items, but only once on any individual agenda item. 

The following also apply:

  • For any item with more than 10 registered speakers, the Board will employ a lottery process to select the speakers. Consideration will be given to all first item requests before considering requests to testify on any second agenda item.

  • Registrants who secure a slot to speak will be notified by email at the email address they provide when they register. All speakers will be allotted 2 minutes and must address the specifics of the agenda item for which they sign up. For details on the specifics of agenda items, click on the Board Docs link found at www.aacps.org/board.

Comments about student-specific items and/or personnel matters are not accepted. Because the Board will be holding hearings specific to any redistricting plans to be developed in the coming months, it will not accept comment on redistricting at regularly scheduled Board meetings. 

  • Written comments on agenda items can be submitted through an online form that can be found at the top of this page beginning at 3 p.m. on the Friday prior to a Board meeting. Written comments must be no more than 250 words and must be submitted by noon on the day prior to a Board meeting. Comments can also be dropped off at the Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis, by that time. 

Those who require the services of an interpreter to offer comment to the Board or who need other accessibility accommodations for Board of Education meetings should call 410-222-5311 to make those arrangements.