Gov. Kate Brown’s Healthy Schools Reopening Council recently met to debate the metrics that schools should use to make reopening decisions. And it’s doing so behind closed doors.

Brown’s office says “the council is an advisory body to the governor, so they are not public meetings.”

That would be true under Oregon law. But actually there’s nothing stopping Brown from allowing the public to listen as the council considers options and information. She could make the council’s meetings public. Our governor just isn’t.

There was a press release about the council’s Wednesday, Oct. 21, meeting. The substance of what was said and the information that was shared, though, was kept secret. The release pointed out: “As of this week, only two counties currently meet Oregon’s metrics for in-person instruction for all grades, however, Oregon as a whole is exceeding the statewide 5% positivity rate maximum allowed for schools to move forward with reopening.”

Have kids in school? Worried that under the present metrics many children will not be able to return to classroom instruction until the next school year? Or want to ensure students and school staff are adequately protected? Why can’t the public listen in on this important debate?

EO Media Group made a public records request for any shared presentations that were made at the Oct. 21 meeting. The Oregonian made a more comprehensive request. Will the debate be over and Gov. Brown have made a decision by the time the public sees what the council is talking about? That would be a shame.