Back in June, we commended the Lowndes County Board of Education for its decision to not go out of town to conduct annual planning sessions, often known as “retreats.” 

The school board had decided to keep the public’s business public. 

Now, it seems a few members of the BOE want to take the public’s business out of town again. 

As we have said consistently, out-of-town planning retreats are a disservice to taxpayers and the public at large.

The people’s business should always be accessible to the people.

Each year, local governments conduct these so-called “retreats” to discuss legislative priorities for the rest of the year.

Discussions can be illuminating as elected officials share their visions and goals, along with deliberating strategies for how to reach those goals.

Everything being discussed at these meetings is the people’s business, and residents have every right and every reason to attend.

State law requires that whenever a quorum of a local government agency meets to discuss public policy, there must be a public notice of the meeting, an agenda must be made available and the public must be able to attend.

When the Lowndes County Board of Education said it would not be conducting its annual retreat near Brunswick, opting instead to meet locally, we said it was the right move to make and the board followed through on its promise.

The Valdosta Board of Education conducts its planning retreat locally as well and we commend the BOE for that transparency.

As it stands right now, the Lowndes County Commission, the Lowndes County Board of Education and the Valdosta City School Board of Education all hold annual planning retreats locally.

We see no reason to make a change and every reason for elected officials to keep the public’s business at home. 

It just makes sense, and it is good public service, to hold the meetings within the jurisdiction of the agency; for example, county leaders meet inside the county and city leaders should meet within the city limits. 

It does no good to just say the public can follow them out of town and attend the meetings, because council members know that will not happen.

Every effort should be made to make all meetings as accessible and convenient as possible for the general public.

Whether or not it is a “nice” location for officials to “relax” and “retreat” is immaterial.

These are business meetings and the business they are discussing is the people’s business.

Out-of-town retreats are not illegal — they are just wrong.