'Voice' appointed for District 8 school

By LORRI SUGHROUE

City Editor

A six-member operating council was established for Fitch Public School (District 8) by the McCook Public School board of education Wednesday night, although whether the newly formed council will meet before the new school year remains unclear.

McCook school board members unanimously approved, with Ron Soden absent, the appointment of Richard Klein, Ron Fritz, Stacy Matson, Gary Power, Larry Shields and Bev Williams to the operating council.

These six had contacted Business Manager Rick Haney or Superintendent Dr. Don Marchant prior to Wednesday's meeting as being interested in serving on the council

Fitch Public School, or District 8, southwest of McCook, was formerly a Class I, elementary-only K-8 school that was merged with the McCook School district June 15 as a result of LB 126. It has now been designated a K-4 attendance center by the McCook School system.

The operating council, required as part of LB 126, is designed to be the "voice" of the school, McCook Public School Business Manager Rick Haney said after the meeting, and as such will advise the McCook School Board, superintendent and elementary school principal on curriculum, services and needs affecting District 8.

In response to a question by Stacy Matson, who asked if there would be a meeting for the operating council, School Board President Greg Larson said the next regular meeting of the McCook School board is July 10, and that any parents or members of the council can contact Marchant or McCook Elementary principal Kathy Latta to set up a time to meet.

Richard Klein said he had calls from parents who didn't fully understand the surveys that were sent from the McCook School Board that asked what school they wanted their children to attend, and these parents would like to know why their children couldn't attend District 8.

Larson told him that the parents could contact Superintendent Marchant and he would talk to them, to which Klein responded, "Since he's here right now, why can't he answer their questions now?"

Marchant replied that he would talk to parents on a individual basis.

"I do not want to open it up now and talk about this in a public forum," he said, adding that it was not legal to discuss these individual matters in a public body.

Larry Shields said, "But it's a public school."

Klein reiterated that some parents were here now and they wanted to have some answers.

"Why can't they (the parents) talk to him after the meeting?" he asked.

At that point the meeting was adjourned and Marchant stayed and talked with several of the parents who attended the meeting.

Afterwards, Marchant ex-plained that patrons who reside within District 8 would still be allowed to transfer their students into the McCook School district, but parents who live within the McCook School district would not be allowed to transfer their children into District 8.

Marchant said at the June 20 McCook Board of Education meeting that it has been the intent of the McCook School system to have all students and teachers of each grade at one attendance center, which is why East and West ward Elementary schools were closed and North ward was expanded into McCook Elementary.