How to Provide Public Comment for Oregon State Board of Education Rules and Meetings

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The Oregon State Board of Education is maintaining its formal processes for public participation regarding the administrative rules that govern the state’s K-12 education system, according to Oregon.gov.

These rules, known as Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs), carry the force of law. They are used to implement state policy, define specific terms, and establish the procedures that agencies must follow. Most of these rules are developed by the Oregon Department of Education in response to recent legislation passed by the Oregon Legislature.

Because these rules dictate how education is managed across the state, the Board requires a notice of intended rulemaking and an invitation for public feedback before any permanent revisions are made.

Residents have several ways to voice their opinions on proposed, amended, or repealed rules. Written comments are a primary method for engagement. The Board encourages people to submit these comments via email or mail to the State Board of Education in Salem.

For those who prefer verbal testimony, the Department hosts monthly public hearings via Zoom. These virtual sessions allow community members to speak directly about active rulemakings. According to content.govdelivery.com, individuals providing virtual public comment must use a specific Public Comment Registration Form, which closes at 6:00 PM the night before a scheduled meeting.

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When participating in these hearings, speakers are limited to a total of three minutes. The Board aims to hear as many participants as possible within the allotted time. If a speaker is unable to provide comment during the live session, they are invited to submit their thoughts in writing afterward.

It is important to distinguish between the two different ways the public interacts with the Board. While the rulemaking process is a formal legal requirement, the Board also maintains a separate public comment process for its regular meetings.

This secondary process allows people to raise general issues or provide testimony on specific agenda items, but it does not function as a space for direct dialogue between the speaker and the Board or the Agency Director.

The Board utilizes a platform called BoardBook to manage its meeting-related materials. This site hosts meeting agendas, recordings, and previously adopted rules. Both Oregon.gov and content.govdelivery.com emphasize that speakers should review these materials on BoardBook before providing testimony.

To ensure organized proceedings, the Board has established specific protocols for written submissions. For regular meetings, content.govdelivery.com notes that commenters should clearly label their email subject lines as “Public comment:” followed by the specific agenda item. Submitting comments in advance is encouraged to give Board members more time to review the input.

The Board’s role in these sessions is to listen and reflect on the feedback received. The Board does not have supervisory authority over state or local employees and will not use these forums to hear complaints regarding individual personnel matters. Instead, the Board may ask staff to respond to specific questions or comments raised during the public period after the meeting has concluded.

All written comments received are posted online and made available to both the Board members and the general public. For those following the January 15, 2026, regular meeting, content.govdelivery.com reports that comments submitted on the morning of the meeting will be posted to BoardBook within 48 business hours.

The State Board of Education is scheduled to hold a regular meeting via video conference on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. A streaming link for the session will be provided on the State Board Video Streaming page.

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