Elected as officers of the PTO are:

Julian Howard II, President
LaShauna Cornelius, Vice-President
Shataka Jang, Secretary
Gabriella Ware, Treasurer

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

As newly elected President of the Cairo PTO, Julian Howard went to the BOE meeting to give a report on the reconstituted organization.

Sadly, the report could have gone better.

Oh, don't get me wrong, Mr. Howard did a fine job in reporting what had transpired at the PTO meeting...

...but when he ventured to ask questions on behalf of the PTO, Superintendent Rice decided that the BOE needed to get on with their agenda.

Evidently, the Superintendent/BOE welcomes "input" and "support", but does not entertain "questions".

After the BOE found refuge behind closed doors (i.e. Closed Session), the audience was left to voice complaints and comments among themselves. Chief among the complaints was an apparent communications wall that has been erected by the powers-that-be in CSD #1. Several people indicated that they had called and e-mailed questions, asking to be placed on the BOE's agenda, but had received either a song-and-dance response, or, even worse, the sounds of silence (i.e. no response at all.)

I haven't looked at BOE policy in over a decade, and it has been amended numerous times, but, I've got to believe that it still requires the BOE to place people/organizations on the meeting agenda if it is requested in writing. (BTW: In the digital age, I believe an e-mail request would qualify as "in writing!")

After many years of peace and quiet in Cairo School District Number One, it would be a shame for the Superintendent/BOE to start building barriers. After all, it is the Superintendent and the BOE who serve the community, not the other way around.

A final (poetic) note on the Superintendent's/BOE's reluctance to answer questions...