Did you know that our community public schools, based on the 2013-2014 MEAP scores, produced grade-level math and reading for three out of 10, third through sixth grade students, and two out of 10, seventh through eighth grade students?

Having seven out of 10 third through sixth grade students and three out of 10 seventh and eighth grade students not at grade level in math and reading has negative implications for our community.

How can you become involved?

• Attend a board of education meeting to share your concern and offer solutions versus rehashing circumstances that got us where we are.

• Given the low achieving number of third through eighth grade students, request that the administration support community programs that supplement classroom instructions.

It is not possible for our youth to receive too much support/reinforcement.

For two years, a group I head, Our Father’s Family Keepers Ministry, offered free after-school tutoring and a free, six-week summer program, only asking to use the district’s elementary school (at our expense); this past school year, we were told ‘no’ and earnestly want the district to reconsider this “free to taxpayers” alternative to this problem.

It is the community’s responsibility, whether individually having school-age children or not, to create meaningful accountability and ensure transparency from your public schools.

Without meaningful accountability and transparency, “little kingdoms” can be built within the public schools administration to the detriment of the K-12 children and families they are hired to serve.

The community must become involved to help provide a solution for the problem each one of us is partially responsible for allowing to occur. A famous quote says “you can be part of the problem, or part of the solution.”

The Cassopolis Board of Education meets the second and fourth Mondays of the month, starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the district’s website at: http://cassopolis.k12.mi.us/

Bianca L. May

Vandalia