Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

GHS Students Voice Opinions To Board

Students voiced their opinions at the Gurdon School Board meeting Tuesday, May 19.

Andy Taylor, class valedictorian, sought changes in the exemption rule, while Jessica Guthrie, Linda Lee and Brandi Escalante battled to help keep an instructor on staff.

Taylor said his desires were only to help the district and to obtain equity in the exemption policy. Currently any student with a "C" average or better, who has 10 or less absences (including school activities), no more than two detention halls and no ISS or suspensions can be exempted from taking semester tests.

This, he told the panel, is not fair. There are two inequalities needing to be addressed, he said. "First, a person with a 100 percent average is treated the same as a person with a 70 percent average. Second, a person who is in Washington, D.C. on a Close Up trip learning about how the democratic process works is counted just as absent as a person who is sick at home watching 'The Price is Right.'

"Gentlemen of the school board," he continued, "I believe it is time to deal with these two inequalities. With the policy the way it is, a person with a "C" has no incentive to strive for a "B", and a person with a "B" has no incentive to strive for an "A"."

In addition, he pointed out, the current policy punishes students for participating in extracurricular activities.

These activities, he said, are important on three basis goals:

• First, they reinforce what has been taught in the classroom;

• Second, they polish the education received; and

• Third, they help students get accepted for colleges and scholarships.

The board, he stated, agrees on the importance of extracurricular activities, with the handbook requiring students to participate in at least two school activities.

Taylor suggested changing the current exemption policy to state a C average does not equal an A average; sick days and time spent on school activities are not the same and those who have absentee problems should suffer the consequences of their actions.

He gave, as an example, how the FFA meat team (of which he is a member) spent its Spring Break while other students were out having a good time.

Monday saw the team at Eastern Oklahoma State University learning how to judge meats. On Wednesday, the team was practicing at the agri building, and ventured to Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia for competition Thursday.

Taylor said the football team and band practice after school. These, he said, are students working on their own time, expecting nothing in return. "Yet when these same students ask for a few days here and there to go to competitions, ball games or Close-Up, they are told, 'Sure, you can go, just be prepared to face the consequences, regardless of your grade.'"

Taylor asked the board to stop punishing those students with A and B averages for wanting to participate and be active in their school functions.

His proposal would be to have students exempt from semester tests if they have no more than two days in detention, no ISS or suspensions, have six or less absences for an A student, and four or less for those with a B.

This, he said, would keep A students from being treated like C students. It would separate sick absentees from being away on school-related activities.

This policy, he suggested, would also encourage students with C's and B's to strive for higher grades.

It would also benefit those involved in extracurricular activities and help C students concentrate on those areas they need help in as test time nears.

The board will address these suggestions when it reviews the student handbook.

Lee, Escalante and Guthrie, were on hand to ask the board to retain Coach Phillip Taylor.

The trio presented a petition asking for Taylor's contract to be renewed. He was on a one- year contract, replacing Coach Randy Kizer who was out on medical leave after suffering a stroke.

They said Taylor is a wonderful teacher, a good friend and is easy to talk to. He, they further said, is an excellent role model and his involvement has helped with morale and professionalism.

This issue wasn't addressed by the board at the meeting. However, the board will be meeting in special session, Wednesday, June 3, to discuss hiring a new assistant coach for football and girls basketball.

This meeting will also be for opening bids for a new physical education building at Gurdon Primary School.

In other business, Superintendent Bobby Smithson updated the panel on warning lights on both ends of the school property along Highway 67.

He said Bobby Pilgreen, an electrician working on the Gurdon Middle School project, checked the price of equipment. It can, Smithson said, be purchased for about $2,000.

Entergy has ran service lines overhead across the highway, so electrical connections won't have to be made going under the road.

Once the GMS project is completed, Pilgreen will install the lights.

The GMS project, or Cabe Middle School, as it will be known, is going along well, with a possible completion date of mid-July if all goes well.

The drywall contractor was fired and another one hired. The former contractor will be back charged for work done by the second.

Work is also being done for the parking lot, with the dirt to be used on the proposed football field.

Discussing the GPS phys-ed building, Smithson said the architect and engineer didn't get their information together quick enough to have bids ready for the May meeting.

These bids will be opened at 2 p.m. at the special meeting June 3.

The district also owes invoices for the basketball program and will pick up the tab for $5,558.17. These monies, Smithson told the board, were not budgeted in the operating fund and the program has not been self-supporting.

Girls basketball Coach Sandra Hatley voiced support for academics as being necessary for athletics.

Without academics, she said, students can't compete athletically.

To help the students, Hatley will be checking their grades on a regular basis at mid-nine weeks, nine weeks and semester to help them remain eligible to participate in sports.

She said help will be needed in making these checks and would appreciate any the board could give, especially in areas where students have problems passing their ACT tests.

Hatley wants to institute a program complete with guidelines so students can be recognized during the different athletic seasons throughout the year in all sports.

Gurdon, she pointed out, earned three conference championships this year alone, which is exceptional.

Next year, she will have an athletic counselor visit with the students, telling them what they will need if they plan on going to c