Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students and residents urge more EMS/trades courses and call for transparency on grants; some raise safety concerns
Summary
During public comment, Headwaters representative Cole Johnson highlighted more than $70,000 in recent donations; student Isabel Roby asked the board for more EMS and emergency-services programming, and several community members urged legislative advocacy and raised safety-related concerns at a local school.
Multiple public commenters addressed the board during the meeting’s public‑comment period.
Cole Johnson, speaking for Headwaters and identifying himself with the Piedmont District, said the organization was directing more than $70,000 in grants and donations to local schools for programs such as Farm to Table and the high school journalism class. "We probably by the end of this week, we'll have given 60 over $70,000 to the schools for programs such as Farm to Table, journalism class..." he said, and encouraged use of Headwaters resources.
A longtime district substitute, John Crawford, told the board he was troubled by what he had read in recent media coverage but urged the board to support the administration. "I want the board to understand that this is a good school...They definitely need your support," Crawford said.
Isabel Roby, a junior and the sole junior member at Company 4 Flint Hill, urged the board to expand emergency-services and public-safety training options for students, suggesting partnerships or shuttles to regional programs (for example, Laurel Ridge). "I feel like we really need more emergency services classes for the school," Roby said, adding that online and regional options could provide access if local instructors are not available.
Resident Megan Ruby asked the board what steps are being taken to "make the school feel safe again for the students," asserting students have reported being bullied and that certain staff conduct has contributed to an unsafe feeling. Board members asked for specifics and indicated that concerns raised during public comment can be followed up through the board office or in later work sessions.
Steph Ritter offered to mobilize community advocates to support state-level measures such as JLARC recommendation number 13, an economies-of-scale adjustment Dr. Grimsley had described earlier as potentially beneficial to small and rural districts.
Board members said they will work to add grant donations and agreements to the consent agenda so the public can more easily see incoming private support, and they discussed creating a quarterly grants snapshot to improve transparency.
