Dear editor:

I started to go to the school board candidate forum put on by the PCSD1 Parents Group on Oct. 9 but something came up and I had to leave, however after reading the article today regarding the "concerns" some parents have, I have my own own questions to those parents.

Many of the issues they bring up are covered by the federal government and our local school board has no control over those items. The government tries to treat everyone equally with kindness and fairness in the law and if there are problems, the Legislature and courts must try to rectify them. It is not up to our local school board to rewrite laws. They are there to provide guidance while following the laws, whether that involves bathrooms, sports or library books.

My question is where are you when the school board meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month? Do you only want to question the policies and procedures when it's election time? That surely is not the time to change things. Did you know that there is an open time during every board meeting where you can ask questions and make statements about your concerns to the board?

When I ran for a school board seat two years ago I started attending the board meetings so that I could learn how they work and what takes place. I did not win that election, however I continue to attend meetings occasionally and I am usually the only community member who is there. It floors me that everyone seems to have these made-up "concerns" and complaints only when it's election time. It seems to me that that board room should be packed every month when parents want to change policies they don't agree with.

We have a wonderful school board and all of the candidates running this year seem to have our school's best interests at heart. It saddens me that people only seem to have concerns when it's election time. How about we talk about ways to improve student successes, ACT/SAT scores or school lunches? How can we improve teachers’ working conditions and morale with more support? Can Powell field a girls’ softball team? How do we get the Wyoming Legislature to send more money our way? They seem to be hoarding money from the federal government and not distributing it appropriately. These are issues I would like the candidates discuss rather than who is using which bathroom (it's none of our business, by the way).

I look forward to seeing more of you at the next board meeting.

Laurie Larsen

Powell