By Karen Gutierrez
Enquirer staff writer

NEWPORT - In an effort to connect with the public, the Newport School Board has agreed to put its meetings on cable.

The board last week asked staff to study the logistics of taping and broadcasting meetings on channel 15. That report, including a cost estimate, should be done by August, Chairman Tete Turner said.

"We've thought about this for a long time," Turner said.

"We realize one of the major problems we have with our school system is that...we're not able to communicate the offerings we have."

In recent months, the board has come under pressure from a parents' group, the Community Partnership for Newport Independent Schools, that is trying to encourage more openness between the school district and the public.

Its most outspoken member, activist Bob Yoder, tried to send a videographer to the regular school board session in May, thinking the board already had agreed to broadcast its meetings.

But the videographer was turned away. District officials said they weren't prepared and wanted more time to ensure a professional production.

Yoder filed an open-meetings complaint with the Attorney General's Office. But he also has agreed, he said, not to send the videographer again as long as the board moves forward with a plan.

Turner said he welcomes input from the parents' group and has been impressed by its ideas so far.

Both the board and the parents want to encourage more families to choose Newport's public system over private schools.

To that end, the two are working together on a public-relations strategy, including distribution of promotional materials to the parents of 3- and 4-year-olds in the city.

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To learn more about Community Partnership, call (859) 491-8303, extension 2333, or log on to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cpnis/

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E-mail kgutierrez@enquirer.com