The Gazette (Colorado Springs):  In response to a few parents calling for Academy School District 20 to be more transparent by videotaping board meetings and posting them online, the five-member board decided Thursday to find out whether other people feel the same way.

The board will host a public forum on the issue Sept. 1 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the district administration building, 1110 Chapel Hills Drive.

Parents, students, teachers, community members, business representatives and anyone interested can weigh in on the topic.

A regular board meeting will follow at 6 p.m. that night. If board members think they’ve gotten enough community feedback and are ready to vote on the matter, they will, said D-20 spokeswoman Allison Cortez.

D-20 board meetings are currently audio recorded. The public must request copies of the recordings and are charged a small fee to obtain them. D-20 also posts on its website detailed written minutes of meetings, following board approval two weeks later. Colorado law governing public meetings of elected leaders requires school boards to “keep minutes of meetings where formal action does or could occur and must make electronic recordings of meetings at which decisions can be made.”

The law does not specify the type of electronic recording.

Parent Michael Esty started asking the D-20 board in June to consider videotaping the meetings and making them available on the district website for public viewing.

He said he was concerned that the board might be making decisions in private and thought videotaping would help keep members accountable.

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