Form to Restrict Recruiting Access Still Not Available: Without an Option for Parents, Military Can Talk to Students

By Sylvia Lim, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

Jun. 12–BRADENTON — Manatee continues to be the only school district in the area without a readily available form for parents to restrict military recruiters’ access to their children.

And, on Monday night the school board got no closer to making a decision. Members had trouble — when it came to the controversial opt-out form — agreeing on what they’d agreed upon in a previous meeting.

One of the key issues on opt-out became whether the decision was one of policy or administration.

“I don’t think we can satisfy everybody,” said School Board Chairman Harry Kin- nan.

The Rev. Don Thompson, who represents the Coalition of Concerned Patriots, a local peace activist group, had asked the board if they were reneging on their words to hold a workshop on opt-out and other forms that would go to parents next school year.

At the end of another long discussion, there was to be a poll taken of board members to see if they wanted a workshop on the issue.

In terms of giving parents an easy way to restrict information from military recruiters, the Manatee school board is behind.

In Sarasota, the information is included in the district’s registration forms. A separate opt-out form for parents is also available upon request.

Pinellas school district officials have posted an opt-out form online.

In Hillsborough, a form that bars its students information from being given to military recruiters and universities or colleges — parents could check a box on the form — is included in the district’s student handbook.

After a confusing dis- cussion in last month’s meeting, the board approved the student handbook containing information about students rights and district policies, including the opt-out information, because of a tight printing deadline.

Thompson’s group had been pushing the board for almost three years for the form to be included in the book.

After board member Barbara Harvey’s opposition, the board finally agreed to distribute a booklet of forms, including the military opt-out one, to schools. So the board agreed to holding a separate workshop to discuss what type of forms.

But a workshop on the matter was never scheduled. Thompson wanted to know why.

Kinnan thought that what the board had agreed on last month was to hold a workshop, but charged the superintendent with canvassing each member to get see if majority of the board wanted a workshop on it.

But school board members Bob Gause and Walter Miller understood that a workshop was supposed to be held. Gause proposed to amend the minutes to include that.

Then questions about whether the issue was a policy matter, which has to be decided by the board, or an administrative one, which has to be handled by the school district staff, came up.

Establishing good communications with students and parents is a policy matter, Miller said.

“How we get there is an administrative charge,” he said.

After discussing the matter for about half an hour, Harvey motioned to stop all discussions about it. Four other board members, except Gause, agreed.

The minutes were finally passed, with Gause’s amendment included.

But whether the board will still have a workshop has yet to be decided.

“The board needs to give individual input to the superintendent,” Kinnan said at the end of the discussion. “It’s open ended, and we have a consensus on that.”

Satisfied with the Monday’s outcome, Thompson said his group will continue to fight for the forms.

“We want to get that to schools if they (the school board) don’t want to,” he said.

In other business

–In a 4 to 1 vote, approved extending School Board Attorney John Bowen’s contract for three years and removing a 5 percent cap on raises, a provision he wrote in his first contract. School Board Member Bob Gause, who said he was not comfortable at removing the cap, voted against it. Bowen was paid $166,268 in the 2006-07 school year.

–Approved giving principals and other district administrators a 6 percent raise next year. Support staff will see a 5 percent raise next year.

–Approved accepting a $2 million Science Master grant. The grant allows 50 teachers from Manatee to earn their master’s degree in science education at two universities.

–Congratulated Helen Abernathy as the new principal of Manatee Elementary. Abernathy was the assistant principal at Palmetto Elementary.

–Recognized Rye Road Association LLC for donating 209 trees, worth about $40,000, to Gullet and Williams elementary schools.

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