Murray County Schools reaches out

Published 7:30 am Saturday, December 10, 2011

Hundreds of parents packed Murray County High School’s auditorium Monday night for a “State of the Schools” meeting.

At a time of low voter turnout and seeming public apathy about all things government, it’s good to see so many people concerned about their local school system. It speaks well of Murray County Schools officials that they put together a program that was well received by many of those who attended.

In addition to a “State of the Schools” address, the event included department reports on finance, nutrition, transportation, technology, a behavior program, graduation success program, instructional support services, test scores, career tech education and community involvement. Those attending also got to see some of the children the school system serves display what they have learned.

Stephanie Petty’s class at Northwest Elementary led “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Pledge of Allegiance in sign language, a language they learned so they could communicate with a student with hearing loss. The Elementary All-County Honor Chorus performed Christmas songs, and FFA members lined the walls for a student-led report of how well their state-ranked “Outstanding Chapter of the Year” has done.

The only criticism we heard was that some parents wanted more time to ask questions, a request we hope school officials will take into consideration when they do this again.

It can only benefit the school system when parents and taxpayers are able to see what is happening inside the classrooms. We commend the school system for offering this presentation and we applaud those parents who showed up.