Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Safety And Youth Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Community group asks Laurel board to back Project RISE after 2023 shootings; seeks memorial and policy review
Summary
Operation West Laurel, a community collective formed after 2023 shootings, asked the board to support Project RISE (an after-school resilience program), create a Memorial Peace Garden on a campus, and meet with the board to review policies on GPA, dress code and discipline.
Amy Handy spoke to the Laurel School District Board on behalf of Operation West Laurel, describing the group's formation after the 2023 deaths of local young people and asking the board to partner on three requests: implement Project RISE (an after-school program for high-school males providing dinner, tutoring, mentorship and workforce training), approve a Memorial Peace Garden and mural on campus to honor students lost to gun violence, and schedule a meeting with the board to discuss student-related policies including academic supports, dress code and discipline.
"Out of that pain, out of that urgency, Operation West Laurel, AL, was formed," Amy Handy said. She described a summer job-shadowing program that paid stipends and provided career exposure, and said Project RISE would meet twice weekly, provide dinner, homework help and trauma-informed training.
Handy thanked the district and named staff and volunteers who supported the summer program. She asked the board for "continued partnership" and explicitly requested a meeting to review policies she said were of concern to parents and community members.
Board members acknowledged the presentation; no formal vote or allocation of district funds was taken during the meeting. The request for a meeting and the program proposal were recorded on the public record for board consideration and possible follow-up through staff and committee channels.
What was requested - Project RISE: an after-school program focused on resilience, integrity, strength and empowerment; proposed two sessions per week with dinner, tutoring, mentorship, trauma-informed training and workforce development opportunities. - Memorial Peace Garden and mural in partnership with a principal to honor students lost to gun violence. - A meeting with the board to discuss policies affecting students (low GPAs, dress code, discipline).
Next steps Handy said the group looks forward to continuing the work with district leadership; the board did not take formal action in open session on the requests but allowed the proposal to be placed on the public record for staff follow-up.
