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Show TJic Public Wins a ('asc T ' The Ulah Supreme Court decision up- holding public access to school board meetings meet-ings and records Is a boon to the democratic demo-cratic process. The schools and school officials offi-cials should benefit irorn the ruling as -well , as the general public. Official acts at public servants always i "should be displayed in the public market- ; place, subject to public appraisal,", said Justice Henriod, who wrote the unanimous decision. He continued,' "Any attempt to withhold information after a meeting itself ' should be subject for wide publicity ..." . The case was an outgrowth of the Nebo School District Board of Education's re-fusal re-fusal to allow citizens to examine 1U 'min- j uies the day following a meeting of the ; board in Spanish Fork, But the case is : fair!)' representative of actions and atti- tudes of too many school boards. They ' should heed tha ruling that refusal to open i records is contrary to the Isw, Public business Is the public's business, Vndcr the best conditions the citizens do not get sufficient information about their j governmental units and schools. One com- j mentator recently, expressed It this way "What The citizen sees o? his government in" j actfon is about what the mariner sees of an ! Iceberg. He doesn't know the size of the ; hidden mass. He doesn't even know .it's there!" School people and other public -servants must realize that freedom of in- '. formaUon ' promotes better understanding and secrecy and censor&hip lead to sus-Vs piefcn. Full publicity is also the best weapon against inefficiency and corruption ; in all governmental activity. This doesn't, mean that every item of discussion at board meetings must be made public Immediately,. . The Supreme Court ; held that exceptions would involve "consideration "con-sideration of matters of a delicate nature or the type where public policy dictates non-dissemination," , Utah Is one of 21 enlightened states having statutes guaranteeing the right of inspection of government records. Such statutes and compliance in spirit as well as to the letter of the law can go far to improve im-prove relations, to "inspire public confidence and theiefore achieve better public administration. ad-ministration. - . . . " . ; . : |