CRESTVIEW — If the Okaloosa County School Board accepts an idea proposed by the North Okaloosa Republican Club, parents of Crestview, Laurel Hill and Baker students would be able to attend school board meetings locally at least twice a month.
“Currently, they have all of their meetings in the south side of the county and the north feels denied easy access to the board,” NORC President JB Whitten stated in an email.
“We believe that this procedure contributes to a general feeling that we are not as important as the south part of the county,” Whitten said in prepared remarks at the Oct. 13 school board meeting.
In addition to holding alternate school board meeting in Crestview at the county courthouse, NORC also proposed starting North Okaloosa County meetings at 6 p.m. “to be more customer…friendly.”
Whitten stated in a Thursday email that school superintendent Mary Beth Jackson was researching the matter and will report to the school board at its Nov. 18 planning meeting.
In 2012 the board opted to hold all of its meetings at 4 p.m. at the district’s Fort Walton Beach instead of alternating with the county seat.
Local school board member Cathy Thigpen said the board is open to Whitten’s suggestion, but also has to weigh the expense of setting up technology links.
Holding meetings at the courthouse “was becoming an issue with the Internet service,” Thigpen said. “We were going to have to start paying for our Internet connection at the courthouse.”
Extra expense was also incurred for mileage reimbursements to district officials who had to travel from Fort Walton Beach to Crestview to make presentations.
Additionally, north county meetings had low attendance, she said.
“I understand Whitten's concerns and want to address his concerns,” Thigpen said. “Whatever we do, we will have to pay for it. Will that be worth the taxpayers’ dollars?”
Thigpen said an alternative idea could be streaming the meetings to a Crestview location to allow residents to remotely attend in real time.
“I don’t want to make anyone feel left out,” Thigpen said. “We will evaluate and listen.”
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Next Okaloosa County School Board public meeting
WHEN: 4 p.m. Oct. 27
WHERE: Okaloosa County School District office, 120 Lowery Pl., Fort Walton Beach
NOTES: Meeting video is broadcast on Cox Communications channel 6 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. the following day
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: School officials to consider resuming Crestview board meetings