Central Montcalm schools consider anti-bullying policy
STANTON — Central Montcalm Public School Board of Education members were introduced to a state-mandated anti-bullying proposal on Monday.
The board will have 30 days to review it before voting on whether to accept it. The Bullying and Other Aggressive Behavior Toward Students policy will be brought back to the board at their March 19 meeting where they will vote on whether to accept it.
“The state, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that every district needs an anti-bullying policy and has given us 30 days to review it and 60 days to pass it,” said Superintendent Jake Helms.
The proposed policy covers topics such as preventative measures, getting parental involvement and more, according to Helms.
The five school board members present also heard an update concerning state aid to the district.
Steve Lampe, chief school business official, showed a pie chart explaining where the district funding comes.
“You can see the greatest share, 45 percent, of it is from sales tax,” Lampe said, “ But with a struggling economy, people are less likely to buy a new vehicle or buy a new appliance. People are not buying the hot items.
“However,” he added, “as gasoline goes up, the sales tax on that is counteracting and is compensating for the drop.”
They should have an anti-bullying policy. I send a letter to Mr. Petersen regarding my daughter being bullied and harassed at school, without so much as a response to the letter demanding a response. It is unfortunate when students cannot eat their lunch in peace without others making an entire scene. It is concerning when students who answer faculty members’ questions honestly about the actions of others, that they suddently become the target of ridicule and verbal harassment. Never in my 25 plus years of being in this school district have I been more embarrassed by the lack of direction our children are receiving. Another prime example is the combative nature of one student who followed another student into a classroom, yelling at her then subsequently struck the child all while a teacher was present and did nothing. The answer to most of what goes on is “Call law enforcement and have parents press charges”. I for one do not care to have law enforcement at my children’s school because the administration cannot handle simple bullying or innocent “fighting matches”. Children should not have juvenile records simply because the adults cannot manage the business at hand. Perhaps look up Mr. Rosengren, Mr. Winkler and all of the predecessors and ask them what it was they were doing correctly because we sure are lacking it today in comparison to decades ago.