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While expressing thanks for a delay on final vote to close their school, the Shell Point Elementary School Improvement Council and Parent Teacher Organization is also vowing to return to the fight after the holiday.
The group issued a press release outlining their position and next steps, from their Facebook page:
On behalf of the parents who have worked tirelessly to keep Shell Point open, I would like to say that we are in high spirits with the motion to “postpone indefinitely” made by the school board last night.
However, it is our intention to continue to press the new board of education which meets in January to vote “NO” to the closure of Shell Point Elementary and to take the current District proposal off the table for consideration. Further we will request the board to make a commitment to put quality education in the forefront of all future decision making. Our teachers at Shell Point work together as a unit to not only provide quality education, but demand that expectation from them. They, along with the parents and students, are the bricks and mortar that makes Shell Point successful. We do not want our teachers looking elsewhere for employment opportunities because they do not feel that their jobs are secure.
We are also looking into why the District has still not complied with our F.O.I.A. request. We are very disappointed that they have been dragging their feet. We will enjoy the holidays and then turn our focus to the Beaufort County Legislative Delegation Study Committee that is planning to meet early in January. In addition, Shell Point parents are currently spearheading the development of a policy proposition for the school board to consider which will involve more direct parent and teacher involvement.
We have already been in contact with other Beaufort County SIC and PTO members to help us write and propose this policy to the school board. We hope this will be endorsed by all schools through their respective SICs no later than February. We were pleased to hear last night the school board members have a similar sentiment by verbalizing their intention to increase parent involvement. The School Board’s earnest statements show that they believe our rationale to be credible, that our concerns are valid, and that they want a harmonious resolution to this matter.
We look forward to building an improved working relationship with the new board and the development of trust between the parent body and the Beaufort County Board of Education. Thank you!
