Livestreaming school board concept hits choppy waters

SHAWANO — The concept of livestreaming Shawano School Board and ancillary committee meetings will go to the full board next week for discussion and approval, but it is doing so without the blessing of the school district’s policy and curriculum committee.

The four school board members who attended the committee’s meeting Monday expressed reservations on whether the idea could be funded, whether it would impact public discussion with the knowledge that the meeting is being video recorded for all to see and whether there is enough interest from district residents to warrant the expense.

Shelby Kaveinga, a Shawano resident who has been pressing the district for months to provide the service, told the committee that 13 school districts livestream their board meetings, and most of them utilize YouTube to make that happen, including Southern Door and Stevens Point school districts. Two more school districts do not livestream but do record them and put them on YouTube, with a link from those district’s websites.

“This isn’t unique to Wisconsin,” Kaveinga said. “It’s happening everywhere, giving people more access to information that’s available.”

Kaveinga said that YouTube has the capability to provide closed captions for the videos, and storage is free. The district would also have its own page for people to access the meetings after the fact, she said.

“It’s easily accessible by the community, which is why most of them of use it,” Kaveinga said of YouTube. “As I spoke with people, they said it was very low-cost.”

She added that many of them use an iPad or a cellphone to record the meetings, although a laptop computer could also be used for live meetings, and a camera could be used if the district decided to not record the meetings live but still record and place them online to be viewed.

“If you go and look at any of the schools that are using it, it’s a very basic setup,” Kaveinga said. “The camera is right here, and you can see the board.”

A few of the districts invested in regular or Bluetooth microphones to improve the sound quality of not only the board members’ discussion but to allow community input to be more easily heard and understood, according to Kaveinga. That helps the closed captioning option and would satisfy requirements for the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Kaveinga also recommended that committee meetings be livestreamed, as there is much more discussion and debate on the issues than there is when the full board meets.

Kaveinga presented the committee with a petition with about 100 signatures from people who are in favor of the district providing more access to meetings.

Board member Mart Grams dismissed the petition, indicating it does not show true interest.

“I understand you have 100 signatures, not to disrespect your petition, but a lot of people sign regardless of what the topic is,” Grams said. “Do you have any evidence that these things are being used by more than five or six people in a school district? Even if it’s free, it’s going to cause us some disruption. It’s probably going to limit speech in many cases.”

Kaveinga noted that many of the 100 are teachers in the district, and their interest is because they are unable to make the evening board meetings or some of the committee meetings. The policy and curriculum meeting started at noon Monday, when those teachers are at work and unable to be away from those classrooms.

“The reason I became aware of it is because friends and family members who discuss issues that are taking place on their school boards,” Kaveinga said.

Board member Chris Gull expressed concern about sensitive information being brought up inadvertently during board meetings and then having that information becoming immediately available to all viewing the meeting.

Lisa Hoffman, another resident interested in school board meetings being livestreamed, was confused by Gull’s comments, as it is usually required that sensitive and confidential information be taken into closed sessions most of the time and not aired to the public.

“I’m sitting here, and if this was happening at a committee meeting, I would be listening to it, so what’s the difference,” said Hoffman, who is an alderwoman on the Shawano Common Council. “Wouldn’t those things go into closed session? You should be having open, honest dialogue regardless.”

Board member Alysia Pillsbury was not concerned about what she says in an open meeting but was concerned members of the public might not speak if they knew their words were going to be out there on the internet. Pillsbury noted she hasn’t decided one way or the other on the issue.

“They might withhold comments,” Pillsbury said. “We’re not cutting back on our discussion, but we have concerns.”

When Kaveinga pointed out that she had to get a babysitter to attend Monday’s meeting, board member Diane Hoffman said she’s had to do the same for the meetings she has attended since she was elected to the board.

“I have six kids, and I have made all of my meetings,” she said.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com

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THE NEXT STEP

WHAT: Shawano School Board meeting

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Monday

WHERE: District conference room, Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B, Shawano