NOV 2: COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON

THE MCCSC SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICTS

Is democracy dead? No, but it is messy!

At the Sept. 26 MCCSC school board meeting, nine members of the community each spoke during the public comment period in favor of appointing a review committee to update the 23-year old school board districts. However, the Board did not appoint a committee at this meeting. Instead, members agreed to discuss the topic at the Oct. 19 school board work session.

At the Oct. 19 work session, board members saw a presentation on the history of MCCSC school board districts and engaged in a long debate on the question (worth watching on CATS (catstv.net) to fully appreciate). However, the Board did not appoint a committee at this meeting.

Instead, Board members agreed to convene a Community Conversation on Thursday, Nov. 2 from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm at the MCCSC Co-Lab, 553 Miller Dr.

The current school board districts were last updated in 1994. The populations in each district now have vast disparities – some have upwards of 22,000 residents, while others have 12,000 or less. Attracting candidates has been increasingly difficult. In the last decade, eight out of sixteen school board elections have gone uncontested.

Please come on Nov. 2 and contribute a lively conversation to continue the discussion about why MCCSC needs to appoint a committee to revise the school board districts!

The Community Committee for Educational Equity (CCEE), an informal coalition of parents, educators, and residents of Monroe County, has initiated this effort, recognizing it as an important duty of responsible governance for our community's public schools. The CCEE seeks to maintain a robust public school system that provides a high-quality education with breadth and depth of opportunity to all students, regardless of race or family income.