A rose to Columbus city schools as they make a major transition after closing schools and moving to a grade-span structure, with students assigned to schools by grade instead of the magnet school approach. Administrators have been working on the logistics for more than a year now, but the real test comes when school starts. With students starting the school year on Thursday, there are bound to be some glitches with the fall semester serving as sort of a shakedown cruise for the CMSD. We urge patience among all stakeholders as the system goes into effect.
A rose to our school districts for taking the initiative to form their own cellphone policies as the state legislature fails to create a statewide policy for the second year in a row. Given what we know about the relationship between students and their cellphones, the districts acted in a way that protects the learning environment. Columbus schools prohibit the use of electronic devices in schools “bell to bell.” Starkville schools also prohibit the use of electronic devices during school hours unless they are being used for instructional purposes in the classroom or the student has been given explicit permission to use them. Lowndes County schools ban cell phones for K-9, while high schoolers are permitted to use the devices only in common areas outside of instructional time. We thank our schools for taking the initiative on an important issue.
A rose to 100 Kids Who Care Starkville which uses a modified version of the 100 Women Who Care to support nonprofits. In addition to a small personal donation, the organization holds fundraising events for the groups they select. This spring, 100 Kids staged a concert that raised $1,000 for Starkville Community Counseling and its mental health programs. The idea that young people can play an active role in the community is something we all can embrace. We congratulate 100 Kids Who Care Starkville founders Cece Buehler and Angelina Tan for demonstrating that kids can organize to support worthy causes just as adults do.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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