Under open records laws in Missouri and Kansas, school districts must open their meetings to the public unless they’re discussing specific protected topics. But policies for accessing meeting recordings and signing up to make a public comment can vary from district to district or even year to year.
DIY Democracy
Posted inDIY Democracy, Education
Here’s how Kansas City, Kansas, schools design their budget and how you can weigh in
The KCKPS school board is intensifying its work on the 2022-23 budget as summer approaches. But dealing with the budget is a year-round process that involves the state of Kansas, the federal government and input from the public.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Education
Know your rights: How to make sure a child with disabilities can access education
An appropriate public education can look different for each child, and parents have a huge role to play in determining which services their child may need.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Local Government
Showing up and speaking out: How to participate in KC’s government process
Want to participate in Kansas City, Missouri’s legislative process, but not sure where to start? The Kansas City Beacon has created this guide to watching, attending and testifying at city government meetings. Where to find government meeting times and locations Past and upcoming meeting dates are published on the city clerk’s calendar. Users can sort […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Education
How to attend, watch or comment at your local school board meeting
Here’s how to attend, watch or submit comments to a school board meeting in several large Kansas City-area districts.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Local Government
How to file a complaint against KCPD
Officers can be held accountable for actions that fall into six categories: bias-based policing, discourtesy, excessive use of force, harassment, improper conduct and improper procedure.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Local Government
How to request public records in Kansas and Missouri
Interested in filing your own public records request in Missouri or Kansas? The Kansas City Beacon has put together a guide for requesting records — including whom to contact, when they’re required to respond and what records might be closed by law.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Local Government
Want to bring an issue to the City Council’s attention? Here’s how to do it.
If you don’t know which district you’re in, put your address into the city’s Resource Lookup tool.