Frankfort 157-C Considers Five-Minute Public Comment Limit for Smaller Crowds

Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education Meeting | April 21, 2026

Article Summary: The Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education on April 21, 2026, reached consensus to extend its public comment time from three to five minutes per speaker when six or fewer people sign up, while keeping a 30-minute overall cap, with formal policy action expected in May.

Public Comment Policy Key Points:

• The board reviewed Board Policy 2:230, which currently limits speakers to three minutes each.
• Consensus was reached to allow five minutes per person when six or fewer individuals wish to speak.
• If more than six people sign up, each will be limited to three minutes, and a 30-minute total cap remains.
• Further discussion and anticipated approval will occur at the May board meeting.

FRANKFORT — The Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, discussed loosening its public comment time limits for meetings that draw smaller crowds, reviewing Board Policy 2:230 and reaching consensus on a revised approach. The matter was a discussion item, with further discussion and anticipated approval slated for the May board meeting.

The policy currently limits each individual to three minutes during public participation at board meetings. Under the consensus reached by the board, speaking time would be extended to five minutes per person when six or fewer speakers are present, subject to a total cap of 30 minutes. If more than six individuals wish to speak, each would continue to be limited to three minutes.

The review follows a request raised at the district’s March 19 meeting, when Kociolek asked the board to consider a five-minute speaking limit during public forum. Board Policy 2:230, adopted in October 2001 and amended several times since, guarantees a minimum of 30 minutes for public participation at each regular and special open meeting.

The April 21 meeting itself featured three public forum speakers. Matt Rafacz spoke on limiting technology use in the classroom and raised concerns about its impact on student learning, screen time, and one-to-one device use. Jen Rafacz expressed support for students taking notes by hand rather than typing, citing research on stronger cognitive involvement and memory retention, and described screens as a classroom distraction. Matt Sullivan spoke about students with learning differences and asked the board to examine the tools and instruction currently in place in the district’s schools.