To: 

The Lawton Public Schools Board of Education; and,Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Joy Hofmeister

From: 

The Stakeholders of the Lawton Public School District, Comanche County, Oklahoma

(Parents/Guardians, Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community Members with a Vested Interest)

Re:

2021-2022 Lawton Public Schools New Policies,

Implemented without the input and consent of all stakeholders,

Which infringe upon the rights and safety of all students currently serviced by the LPS District.

First, thank you for your ear and your much needed assistance. While individually, we may disagree on many things, collectively (the parents, students, faculty, staff, and community of Lawton as a whole) come to you with grievances that we alone cannot remedy. The school board has shied away from their code of ethics (*copied below directly from the LPS official website) to instead bend to the wishes and demands of Superintendent Hime. Decisions affecting the entire student body of LPS were implemented weeks, even days, prior to the onset of school without the input nor knowledge of Stakeholders. Rushed execution of projects, such as the Life Readiness Center (LRC), have created multiple obstacles to the education of our students that must be addressed immediately. Below are bullet points that we hope are the start of a transparent conversation, not merely complaints that will be shrugged off with “we are working on it” statements. This is by no means a full description of our concerns, but a starting point. We are simply asking for our place at the table and the protection of our children’s rights.

The closure of one of four Middle Schools within the district to house the “Life Readiness Center” (LRC)  has resulted in severe overcrowding on the campuses of the three remaining buildings. This has led to many classrooms far exceeding 25-30 students, students unable to eat lunch within the 20 minute time allotted, increased altercations due to overly crowded spaces, and increased chances of the spread of Covid-19 due to no mask mandates amid severely confined indoor environments. We ask that consideration be given to either the LRC being relocated or another structure being provided in place of Tomlinson Middle School in order to alleviate overcrowding.

High school classes have been reduced to 45 minutes due to the addition of an advisory period class. The first five minutes of all classes is spent awaiting students coming from the LRC center buses and the last five minutes spent releasing students to the LRC center buses. Core classes (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies) are now each only being taught 35 minutes a day. We ask that consideration be given to adjustments being made to increase in-class instruction for core classes, be that through a reduction of total classes (7) required each day and/or through a limitation of the number of trips made to and from LRC each day.

Direct Instruction Special Education classes were dissolved by Mr. Hime (through the LPS Board of Education) and students placed into the general education classroom without the input and consent of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Team members which includes Parent/Guardians, Student, Teachers, and Administrators. We ask that consideration be given to an audit of this move in order to establish legalities in respect to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Stakeholders of Lawton Public Schools thank you for your time. As stated above, this is simply a starting point. We look forward to hearing back from you concerning these issues as soon as possible. Protecting the rights and safety of our students cannot be placed on the backburner a second longer.

Sincerely,

Signed:

_____________________________________________________________

*Ethical standards for all members of the Board:

The first and greatest concern is the educational welfare of all students attending the public schools.
Obey the laws of Oklahoma and the United States.
Respect the confidentiality of privileged information.
Recognize that an individual member of the Board has no authority to speak for the entire Board.
Work with other members to establish effective policies.

Delegate authority for the administration of the schools to the superintendent and staff.
Encourage ongoing communications among members of the board, the Board, students, staff and the community.

Unless excused for good cause, attend all meetings of the Board and be informed concerning the issues to be considered at each meeting.

Render all decisions based on the available facts and independent judgment rather than succumbing to the influence of individuals or special interest groups.

Study educational issues and participate in in-service programs.

Support the employment of staff members based on qualifications and not as a result of influence.
Avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof.

Refrain from using the board position for the benefit of family members, business associates, or myself.
Express personal opinions but once the board has acted, accept the will of the majority.

Avoid the use of abusive, threatening or intimidating language or gestures directed toward colleagues, citizens, or staff.

Diligently exercise the Board’s oversight role, questioning where appropriate but avoiding personal attacks.Work to create a positive environment in all meetings and contacts where the community will feel comfortable as observers or participants.

Be respectful, attentive, and concise.