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Hernando Today

Parents want more seats on magnet committee

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By JEFF SCHMUCKER

Hernando Today

Published: November 19, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - A plan to form a magnet school committee consisting only of two seats for parents isn't sitting too well with some parents and at least one school board member.
A recent draft on filling a committee to look at magnet school admissions so far calls for 11 seats on the committee: four seats for school and district administrators, two for teachers, two for high school students, two for parents and one community representative — a seat already selected to be filled by a former school administrator.
Vicki Schultz, a parent of two children in magnet schools, said the current draft doesn't adequately balance both sides of the discussion between the school district and parents concerning an issue that angered many parents last month about magnet school admissions.
She added she was surprised to learn the committee makeup hadn't already been decided. She believed the process was further along.
"And where did this idea about involving students come into play?" Schultz asked. "I'm all for students getting involved in the process, but not by taking the place of a parent or community member seat."
School Board Vice Chairwoman Sandra Nicholson also brought the issue to light during a recent school board meeting and said she would like to see more parent and community involvement on the committee. She adde she would like someone other than a former school administrator sitting in the "community representative" seat.
She does like the idea of having magnet and nonmagnet school parent and teacher representatives, but would like to see more of them.
"This group has to be equitable to both sides and between the district and the community," Nicholson said.
Interim Superintendent Sonya Jackson said she has also received recommendations on the draft and added it would likely be changed Friday and early next week following meetings with other district staff members.
She said some recommended changes include reducing the committee size from 11 to nine seats. How many representatives of the school district or community will fill those seats remains to be seen.
By early December, Jackson said she would seek board approval on the committee organization before seeking those to sit on it. She added it would likely be early January to early February before the group is expected to meet.
Last month, school board members were applauded for agreeing to go back to an original system plan for magnet school applications and selecting students — 70 percent applications from portfolio, 30 percent applications from a lottery system.
They also agreed to form a committee to review admissions and other issues at the three magnet schools, which are Chocachatti Elementary School, Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math and Nature Coast Technical High School.
However, Schultz said there's a lot of work ahead for the group to determine what the best process is on how students are selected to attend magnet schools. She expects heavy discussion on sibling and other preferences expected to be given for admissions.
For a while now, she said she and other parents have criticized school board members and administrators for making decisions and discussing magnet school matters without any research to back up their claims.
However, even among parents, she said there are mixed feelings concerning the matter.
Schultz added she is not seeking to be on the committee, due to her strong feelings on the matter.
"I do plan on attending these meetings and offering my research and opinions," Schultz said. "But I feel pretty strongly about this and I don't think I should probably sit on the committee."
Meanwhile, Nicholson said she encourages parents and others who are interested in sitting on the committee to contact administrators. She added that even if they don't want to be on the committee, they should definitely attend the meetings.
"If you're really concerned, you need to be there," Nicholson said. "And you need to find out what's going on first hand."

Reporter Jeff Schmucker can be reached at 352-544-5271 or jschmucker@hernandotoday.com.

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