School board meeting live on Web

Credit: Julie N. Chang | The News Herald

After a letter from the county said the Burke County Board of Education could no longer meet at Central Office on Parker Road, the board moved today's meeting to the Olive Hill Room at the Staff Development Center, 509 W. Concord St.

By: Steve Welker | Morganton News Herald
Published: June 07, 2009

Morganton --

A Burke County Board of Education meeting will be "streamed" live on the Internet today.
The session will begin at 5:15 p.m. today in the Olive Hill Room at the Staff Development Center, 509 Concord St. in Morganton.
The city fire marshal's office has told the school district the room's maximum occupancy is 275 people.
As many as 225 have tried to attend recent board meetings in the Central Office board room, although its maximum occupancy is 85. Safety concerns and complaints about congestion at Central Office, which shares a building with the Burke County departments of health and social services, prompted County Manager Ron Lewis to tell the school district last week it cannot use the board room until further notice.
School Superintendent David Burleson recommended using the Staff Development Center after school board members said they did not want to have their regular meeting in a school during the final week of classes.
One problem at the Staff Development Center is limited parking, but Burleson said the owners of Furniture Warehouse, 209 New St., gave their permission for the public to use its lot.
Interest in tonight's meeting may be high because the board will interview seven applicants for the seat vacated by David Barnard. The board also will hear the first reading of a policy on public comments (which won't be permitted at tonight's session).
"We're doing everything in our power" to make it possible for more people to see and hear the meeting, Burleson said.
Those efforts include live video streaming. It's relatively new technology for the school district and Burleson said the technology department won't know how well it works under a heavy load until they use it tonight. But technicians tested it Friday and the system works.
Computer users with a fast Internet connection will find the video-streaming link on the schools' Web site, http://www.burke.k12.nc.us.
People who want to hear the meeting live at Concord Street will be able to do so, even if the Olive Hill Room fills to capacity. Burleson said large speakers outside will carry an audio feed, weather permitting.
WMNC videotapes all school board meetings for later telecast on CoMPAS Cable in Morganton and Charter Communications.
The school board has all of its meetings recorded and posted, usually within 24-48 hours, on the schools' Web site.

School board meeting live on Web

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