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Residents, district staffers, school board members speak out at meeting
By Shelley Widhalm
Reporter-Herald Staff Writer
Posted: 10/19/2011 11:26:00 PM MDT
BERTHOUD — Red Rock Academy got a resounding “no” during public comment Wednesday at the Thompson Board of Education meeting.
Not one of the 26 speakers who addressed the school board on the charter school application showed his or her support.
District staffers gave that lack of community support as one of the reasons they recommend that the board reject the application. READ MORE
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The complete article on the Reporter Herald states that there was no speaker showing support for the proposed charter school. I live in Berthoud and I do support the proposed Red Rock Academy Charter School and I attended both the community forum and the district board meeting. However, if I verbally support the charter school at meetings and forums where the protesting against is so full of animosity – this is a small town. My children currently go to school here. I am too nervous to be vocal about my support. Again, this is a small town….
There is not lack of support for this charter. Maybe people are a little nervous to go against the great opposition for fear of the repercussions to their children at school.
I do not live in Berthoud but my daughter does and am therefore interested in what's happening there. I sympathize and agree with "katie123." Intimidation, perceived or actual, plays a role. Allow opinions to be expressed in writing without signatures and then reevaluate. Results may be the same but "all will have spoken…and considered."
I have not seen any animosity at all at any of the community forums. Every attempt we have made to dialog with the charter school representatives has been done with courtesy and respect. Many speakers at the recent forum encouraged the Red Rocks supporters to visit Berthoud schools and see how great they are. Anyone from Johnstown, Mead and other neighboring communities have the choice of Open Enrollment at our terrific schools. There have been no compelling arguments presented by any Red Rocks supporters about why a new school is needed, so naturally there is widespread opposition to a proposal that could negatively impact our existing schools.