When livestreams stopped, a Michigan mom kept school board meetings visible
The Bay County parent says access should not depend on the ability to attend in person
BAY CITY, Mich. — A Bay County parent has begun recording and posting local school board meetings after multiple school districts declined to livestream or archive their public meetings, arguing that access to government decision making should not depend on the ability to attend in person.
Kourtney Sabourin, a parent of a special needs student, said she started recording meetings for Bangor Township Public Schools and the Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District after repeated requests from parents for livestreaming were denied.
I left a high-paying job in the mainstream media to go independent. If you haven’t already, consider becoming a paid subscriber to support my independent journalism. Click the button below.
“When meetings aren’t accessible, the public is effectively shut out of decisions that directly affect students and families,” Sabourin said. “Public meetings aren’t truly public if people can’t attend or view them.”
Sabourin said some districts cited cost or encouraged in-person attendance as reasons for not livestreaming meetings. She disputes those explanations, noting that basic recording equipment can be purchased for less than $100 and that uploading videos to platforms like YouTube is free.
“It doesn’t take much,” Sabourin said. “You can set up a camera, let it record and post it. Even a phone would work.”
During a Bangor Township school board meeting Sabourin attended, she said she observed a mounted camera in the meeting room that was not used to record or broadcast proceedings. The district livestreamed meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic but discontinued the practice afterward.
School board officials have said livestreaming could reduce in-person participation, according to Sabourin. She said that reasoning overlooks residents who are unable to attend meetings because of work schedules, disabilities or caregiving responsibilities.
“For parents like me, attending meetings isn’t always simple,” Sabourin said, noting that she must arrange and pay for respite care to attend in person.
Sabourin said she has committed to attending and recording every scheduled meeting for both districts. She plans to upload the recordings to a dedicated YouTube channel so residents can review discussions and decisions.
She said her motivation stems from personal experience, including instances where she felt parent concerns were raised but not meaningfully addressed by school officials.
“Transparency builds trust,” Sabourin said. “When transparency is missing, trust erodes.”
Sabourin emphasized that she records meetings without disrupting proceedings and follows rules governing public meetings. She said recording is a legal right and encouraged residents in other communities to do the same if their local governments do not provide access.
“Parents aren’t asking for control,” she said. “We’re just asking for access.”
Sabourin said she believes broader access to meetings could reduce misinformation and increase accountability by allowing residents to see discussions in full rather than relying on summaries or meeting minutes.
“Meeting minutes don’t tell the whole story,” she said. “You miss the context, the debate and how decisions are really made.”
She said she plans to continue recording meetings even after her child is no longer in the school system, calling the effort a community responsibility rather than a personal cause.
“This isn’t about politics or personalities,” Sabourin said. “It’s about the process.”