A group of Starkville parents could soon form an advisory committee to question the policies of the Starkville School District and make recommendations to the SSD board of trustees.
About 30 parents gathered Thursday evening at New Covenant Church on Garrard Road to voice their concerns about the Starkville School District. One option the group discussed was to form of an advisory committee, made up of parents, students and teachers, who would act on a level more political than the existing parent-teacher organizations in the district.
Although still in the theoretical stage, the newly formed organization could study policies closely, make recommendations and give quarterly reports to the SSD board of trustees, parent Sarah Coleman said. The schools” parent teacher associations would remain busy with fundraisers, book fairs, volunteer work and other projects within the district, she said.
Parent Anastasia Elder, who helped organize Thursday”s meeting, agreed with Coleman.
“I think there”s room for everyone, for both organizations to work together to improve our schools,” Elder said.
One of the main complaints voiced by parents Thursday night was a perceived disconnect between the SSD board of trustees, school administrators and the public. Parent Carrie Copeland called it “a horrible communication problem.”
Many parents felt the school district doesn”t inform the public well enough about changes in policy or problems in their kids” schools, such as bullying. Several parents stepped forward and said their children are bullied regularly at school and on school buses, but administrators have done nothing to address the problems.
“I don”t think it”s the parents” job to make sure their kids aren”t getting bullied,” parent Kate Fabel said. “I think it”s the school district”s job to make sure kids aren”t getting bullied.”
Contacted Thursday after the meeting, Starkville School District Superintendent Judy Couey said the SSD is set to adopt a new policy which will allow employees to investigate bullying reports and take “reasonable action” to bring the bullying to a halt.
“Often we have bullying going on and we don”t know about it until it”s gone down the line and gone too far, so hopefully this will help,” Couey said.
Couey also said her door is always open to parents who have concerns about goings-on in the school district.
“I welcome any parent to please come in, talk and ask questions,” Couey said. “What is destructive is to just say we don”t communicate.”
The school district uses the AlertNow communication service which gives administrators the ability to inform parents of open houses, school events and emergency situations, SSD public information officer Nicole Thomas said. Like Couey, Thomas said she welcomes parents to voice their concerns about policies and other incidents in the district.
“The Starkville School District encourages parental involvement,” Thomas said. “Our door is always open to concerns and suggestions. We want to have an open dialogue with our parents.”
But the parents at New Covenant Church Thursday said they don”t feel the school district always maintains an open dialogue with the public. Some complained about executive sessions and a lack of response from school board members when questioned at meetings.
“I think the school board has a tendency to do everything quietly and behind closed doors so they don”t have to deal with us,” parent Sally Gray said.
Several parents cited the school board”s decision to implement a dress code policy beginning this fall as a decision which didn”t take parents” wishes into account.
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