Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Vacations keep numbers down for CAPS

Summer vacations kept the number of people attending the CAPS meeting to a minimum on Tuesday, July 5.

Only about a dozen people showed at the Prescott-Nevada County Library for the gathering.

Herman Brown voiced concerns about the groups legal liability, saying he isnt sure what CAPS should do, or what kind of liability it may have. I suggest we not organize as a formal group, he said.

Browns reasoning for this is the organizations board would be liable before the members if it goes through a formal organizational process. I dont feel comfortable doing this without a lawyer. Till then we can act as a forum.

Todd Richards, acting as moderator, said CAPS is still in its infancy.

Willie Wilson, dean of students at Prescott High School, said the group has talked about Act 603 and parent advisory groups. Rita Shaw, he added, has asked if CAPS can act as a formal parental advisory committee. This is what youre doing. This group will be 90 percent of the resources we plug into. If you want to become a PTA or PTO later on, you could still be a parental advisory committee.

Richards pointed out there will be issues arising CAPS wont sugarcoat. People are still holding back, he said. The (Prescott School) Board addressed a lot at its last meeting, but if you dont have teeth in something (rules), then why have them. There must be consequences for actions. The district needs to get back to cracking the whip.

CAPS members agreed the district isnt following the rules set forth in the student handbook. It also agreed there will be parents in the community who wont support the organization or the district when and if it does start enforcing the rules as written.

Wilson said PHS has been losing about 1/3 of the students on Friday afternoons because they check out. The secretary, he continued, makes random calls to parents to see if its all right for the students to leave. Most parents condone their children leaving school early, because they have been told, by their children, nothing is going on at school anyway.

Instruction is still going on, Wilson said. To be honest, these kids arent going home, but are riding around.

Karen McLelland said there are teachers doing the same thing. Why are teachers out running around instead of being at school? I know they have a preparation period, but what if students need them?

Wilson agreed teachers should lead by example and set high standards. He said the districts handbook committee is addressing the issue of students being able to check out, and will change the policy for the coming year.

McLelland suggested students having notes to be let out early should have to turn them in early in the day so they dont appear later in the afternoon.

The issue of gambling was brought up with Wilson saying those caught last year were suspended. However, he added, there is a certain segment of the community where gambling goes on and the children bring these habits to school with them.

It was also said there are classes where zero teaching is going on at PHS. Wilson said this is where the parent committees will come in as parents can visit the classrooms and see firsthand whats going on. From there, they can report their findings to the principal and/or Board.

On the whole, the group agreed the handbook is all right, but the rules need to be enforced. It also states all students need to be treated equally under the rules with none given special consideration because they may participate in athletics.

Richards said the cameras the district is looking into are a good idea, but wondered if teachers couldnt be posted outside restrooms to help cut down on the smoking going on there.

Wilson said teachers are supposed to stand outside their classroom doors between classes, and there are only three periods during the day when he, David Maxwell or PHS are available to check the bathrooms.

To help combat this problem, he said, the Board is looking at cutting the time students have between classes from seven to five minutes. Warren, he pointed out, is a larger district and has four minutes between classes.

Wilson was asked if members of CAPS could be on campus to meet the students on the first day of school. He said, PHS Principal Carroll Purtle brings classes in separately to talk to them about the coming year and CAPS members would be welcome to address the students then.

The group discussed discipline problems, and agreed the freshman and senior classes can be used to help keep the sophomores and juniors in line. Theres no reason freshmen cant be campus leaders, Wilson said. About 20 percent of the students are service oriented, and the rest (who are in service clubs) are there to have something to put on their resumes. If the sponsors didnt come up with ideas they would be do nothing organizations.

CAPS will try to get Arkansas School Board Association attorney Kristin Gould to speak at some point during the summer. This will be done so the group will have a better idea of its liabilities and what it can and cant do.

As of now, Richards said, CAPS is a parental advisory committee.

CAPS will be on the agenda for the July 19 Board meeting. Sandy Cason suggested CAPS show up en masse.