MAHOPAC, N.Y.—In a move aimed at enhancing transparency and increasing community involvement, the Mahopac Central School District has implemented a new policy requiring its school board committee meetings to be recorded and posted online for public viewing.
The policy, initially proposed by school board member Tanner McCracken, was adopted at the BOE’s November meeting with unanimous support. Under the measure, all public portions of every school board sub-committee and ad hoc committee meeting will be recorded on video (or audio, if video is unavailable at the time of the meeting). The recordings will then be posted to the district website, along with the written minutes of the meeting, making them accessible to the general public.
“Recording committee meetings is a huge leap in the name of transparency,” McCracken told Mahopac News. “This important initiative was a promise of mine when I first ran for school board and I am proud we delivered this for our community.”
McCracken said he was thankful to his school board colleagues for supporting the measure.
“There was a time when this proposal not only did not have the votes, but it was not even allowed on the agenda for discussion,” he said, crediting School Board President Jonathan Schneider and VP Fernando Martinez for allowing a “fair discussion and public vote on this policy.”
This move still allows individuals to attend meetings, but extends the opportunity for busy district members—especially parents who may not be able to make a meeting in person—to stay informed and participate in school district decision-making.
“It’s a big movement in the direction of public transparency and something that we are proud to have as policy now,” Schneider said. “The more info we can provide and more involved our community can be, the better our district will be.”
Meetings are accessible on the district's School Board Sub-Committee page.
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