JCSB Member Votes Against More Transparent Board Meetings

JACKSON COUNTY, FLA.- The Jackson County School Board has voted to begin recording its meetings and posting the videos on the district website, a step Superintendent Hunter Nolen says will help more residents follow board business. The decision came Tuesday night after a detailed discussion during last week’s workshop that laid out the goals, the process, and the questions board members wanted answered before moving forward. The measure passed 4–1, with board member Rex Torbett voting against it.

Workshop Discussion Set the Stage

During the workshop, Nolen explained that the IT department, led by Aaron Hamilton, had already installed a camera and microphone system in the boardroom. The plan is to record each meeting, add closed captioning, and upload the video so families who cannot attend in person can watch at their convenience.

“We’re hoping for parents that work extremely late, can’t make it to the board meeting, can go to our website and maybe catch a board meeting,” Nolen said. He noted that recordings would begin only after any student presentations so families could opt out if they preferred.

Torbett questioned whether recordings should happen by default. “This is the board meeting. Shouldn’t we decide whether we video it and post it versus it just automatically being done?” he asked. Board attorney Matt Fuqua confirmed that the decision rests entirely with the board.

Chairman Chris Johnson pointed out that the item was not listed on the workshop agenda and asked for it to be added for a vote at the upcoming meeting. He also asked Fuqua to clarify what retention rules apply once recordings become public documents. Fuqua said state law provides specific guidelines in the general records schedule. Nolen said he believed educational records are kept for seven years, while board secretary Laura Kent said her initial search showed recordings must be kept for at least 12 months after posting.

Board member Chephus Granberry asked whether the district already had a policy on recordings. Johnson said a policy exists but may not cover every detail, and Nolen said staff would review the Neola policies and compare them with state requirements. Nolen added that while the state allows districts to keep the recordings longer than required, extended retention would create unnecessary storage issues. “Definitely don’t want to keep it longer,” he said with a laugh. “That will be more space and more gigabytes.”

Nolen also noted that meetings are already sometimes recorded informally and posted elsewhere, which can lead to confusion. “Just taking a little bit more ownership,” he said.

Because it was a workshop, no vote was taken.

Final Vote and Board Debate

When the proposal came up Tuesday night, the board moved quickly into discussion after a motion by Board Member Tony Pumphrey and a second by Vice Chair MJ Jackson.

Torbett repeated his concerns that while transparency is important, posting recordings would create new opportunities for online negativity. “The only people that’s going to go look at it are the three or four that’s looking for something negative to throw stones at our district,” he said. “That’s just how I feel.”

Board attorney Clay Milton reminded members that the decision is entirely theirs. “There is no legal requirement that you record,” he said. “If you do record it, it needs to be posted. It’s a public record. If it doesn’t work, you can always pull it down later.”

Nolen acknowledged Torbett’s concerns and said the issue had come up in earlier conversations between them. “I definitely hear what he’s saying,” he said. At the same time, he emphasized the benefit for families who cannot attend meetings in person. “We have a lot of people in this district that work. Not everybody works nine to five. Hopefully this will be another opportunity for them to participate and hopefully look at all the good things going on in this district.”

Granberry agreed that the recordings could serve more than one purpose. He said they could help counter misinformation or correct claims about what was said. “It’s got its perks and it’s got its issues,” he said. “I think it’s worth a try and I think we need to move forward.”

Chairman Johnson said the recordings would be for information only, and the public would not be able to comment on the videos. He also stressed that he wants the recordings to spotlight the district’s strengths. “If you pick up the phone and call me, it means a lot to me,” he said. “I don’t want it to be a circus act. I want it to be used for information and for just cause.”

Nolen said the IT department has worked to make the setup cost-effective and hopes the recordings will draw more people to the district’s website for other information, including events and calendars. He said the plan is to post videos either the same day as the meeting or the next day, with closed captioning included.

After discussion ended, the board voted 4–1 to approve the recordings, with Torbett opposed.