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Parents and a student urge board to preserve TAG centers and nearby bus stops
Summary
During public comment at the July 9 PGCPS special meeting, student Vivian Vivia Fletcher and parents Kateri and Elamica Fletcher urged the board to reject recommendations to close TAG centers and to maintain nearby bus stops for student safety and continuity; commenters praised immersion funding restorations and asked the board to replicate successful programs rather than dismantle them.
Registered public speakers used their allotted three minutes on July 9 to press the Prince George's County Board of Education to protect specialized programs and transportation that families say sustain students’ access to appropriate schools.
Vivian Vivia Fletcher, introduced by the chair as a TAG student, said, "I love my TAG school because I feel safe in it, and I feel welcome," and asked the board to reject the strategic realignment group's recommendation to close TAG centers.
Kateri Fletcher, who identified herself and described dependence on nearby stops, told the board that "If we had far bus stops, I probably couldn't go to school anymore or would have to go to a neighborhood school," saying that farther stops would force students to leave familiar teachers and peers and could reduce enrollment in specialty programs.
Elamica Fletcher, a parent of PGCPS scholars, thanked the board for restoring immersion program funding but said she was "surprised and disappointed by the recommendation related to eliminating TAG centers" and opposed proposed transportation cuts for specialty programs. She urged the board to "celebrate what is working and identify how these successful practices can be replicated across the district."
All three speakers emphasized student safety, continuity, and the educational benefits of differentiated programming. The board did not engage in dialogue during the public-comment period; the chair thanked speakers and noted that written or prerecorded comments are posted for public record.
