A quick rehash of the PCSD1 school board meeting...you can tune into Channels 5 and 13, and Wyoming Public Radio, or read all about it in the Casper, Cheyenne, Laramie and Platte County papers this week too, because they were all there. There will likely be additional submissions to Wheaterville too, much to the chagrin of some it seems.

But for those of you who can't wait...here's the brass tacks. The meeting was packed. The chairs were all taken and people were lining the walls and back of the room by 6:50. When the meeting started there were over 70 people packed in like sardines. (Note that room capacity was 75, chairs for 40, so people were sitting in the aisles and crammed into the room outside the meeting room as well.)

 Representatives of the Wyoming ACLU, and the ADL were also in attendance. They didn't say much this time, but their support was noticed and much appreciated.

Chairman Tyson read from the Wyoming Open Meeting Law, that yes, there would be a Public Comment portion of the meeting, because by law there had to be..."I've never seen this part take more than five seconds, but it looks like times are different now." Yep...they sure are.

Tyson warned that everyone had to play nice..."no rallys." Everyone played nice.

Teachers, parents, students, and Platte County residents raised their hands, and each and every one of the local citizens who spoke did so eloquently, and movingly in favor of the No Place for Hate banners and programs. One resident spoke as a veteran of both the military and the Platte County school system. Another spoke as the mother of a grade school student, and explained what the NPFH program meant to her child, and how important that was to her. At least seven PCSD1 teachers attended the meeting, in support of the program. Wheatland, you should be proud of your people! And yes, that is a fact!

After seven or so Platte County residents spoke, Bruce DeBoskey of the ADL was called on. He had a speech he was going to read, but instead he just spoke extemporaneously, and observed that "...really, no one could say it more clearly than you've heard tonight from the parents, and teachers and the students here tonite."

The four WHS students who spoke did their school and their community proud. Two of them had been part of the group who worked on the NPFH program, and all of them shared what a positive impact it had had on the school and on the students.

A petition requesting the school board to define its policy on advertising in the schools was presented and will be on next month's agenda. Since the NPFH Banner was removed ostensibly because it contained "advertising" some residents would like to have the policy for what constitutes "advertising" examined.  " The question of whether to permit advertising in schools operated by Platte County School District #1 is an important one, and the undersigned petitioners believe that it would be desirable for the District to have a definite, consistent policy governing this issue, and any similar issues that might present themselves in the future." 
 At the end of the obligatory 30 minute Public Comment section of the meeting, board member Dallas Mount made a motion that the Public Comment time be extended, so that any and every member of the district who wanted to speak would be allowed to do so.

No board member seconded his motion. That's worth repeating: No board member seconded his motion. Chairman Tyson announced that the motion to allow more discussion by the public had died due to "no second".  Maybe that's where the story starts.

The next board meeting will be March 15, at 7pm. If you didn't get to say what you wanted to at this meeting, or if you aren't sure you were heard this time around, mark your calendars now and be at that next meeting. Times ARE different now...maybe a few more packed school board meetings will get that point across.