Burnside students showcase Kindness Club; public commenters urge board to address discrimination and fund BSU adviser

Students from Burnside Elementary presented the school's new Kindness Club and described projects including a snack drive, mitten collection, kindness cards and posters. Teachers Neil Lahammer, Bree Strandberg and Gus Albers told the board the club uses materials from Steve Hartman's Kindness 101 program and has reached students through classroom visits and community projects.

Several third‑grade students spoke briefly about why they joined. "I joined Kindness Club because we help others," said third‑grader Alana. Other students cited making cards for the community, putting up kindness signs and organizing a food drive.

During the public‑comment period a student described being pulled from Branson and later homeschooled after repeated mistreatment in school, saying the treatment came from adults and peers and urging the board to prevent similar harms. An adult commenter who identified herself as Amber said the problem is systemic and extends beyond a single school, noting local demographic figures and saying, "This is much bigger than the school. This is a community issue."

A high‑school Black Student Union adviser told the board the BSU has operated largely on volunteer time, recounted hosting a high‑school BSU conference and Juneteenth events, and urged the district to create a paid adviser position. The superintendent and board members agreed to direct the negotiations committee to review comparable adviser stipends and return a recommendation; the board asked for a job description and expressed interest in reviewing retroactive compensation options as part of negotiations.

What happens next: the board directed negotiations staff to review advisor stipend comparables, prepare a job description and bring recommendations to a workshop or the March meeting so the board can decide whether to fund a paid BSU adviser.