Joplin Globe R-8 Board forum, newly-announced forum to merge, open to the public

Josh Bard of the Joplin R-8 Accountability Forum Facebook page announced a few moments ago that the Joplin Globe will merge its Board of Education Candidate Forum with the one that was announced last night.

The forum will be open to the public.

Originally, the only forum that was planned was to take place in the Joplin Globe's office. The forum would have been closed to the public with each candidate permitted to bring two guests.

An uproar over that arrangement, especially the exclusion of the public, began over the weekend, and culminated in the announcement of a second forum, open to the public, scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in the Memorial Administration Building, 310 W. 8th St.

Bard announced the agreement with the Globe in a Facebook message:

I am happy to announce that the Joplin Globe and I have decided to merge into our Forum. This will enable everyone to view and be present during the forum.