THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 25, 1994 TAG: 9410250311
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B01 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
Some students at Manteo High School want the armed sheriff's deputy out of their hallways, a ban against book bags lifted and attendance policies changed.
But they said Monday they're willing to compromise.
A group of 18 students met with Principal Linda Holmes to discuss their concerns and offer solutions to what they contend are the school's primary problems.
No action was taken after the 90-minute discussion. Holmes promised to meet with the group again next week. Students are hopeful some solution may be reached.
``At least she's letting us voice our opinions. At least we feel like we're finally getting our point across,'' said senior Doug Michel, spokesperson for the student group. ``I don't know how Ms. Holmes is taking what we said. I can't tell if she's actually interested in changing anything. But it's good, at least, that she's listening.''
But Holmes said no policies will be changed this school year.
``You do not change rules in the middle of the year,'' Holmes said from her home Monday night. ``We will look at proper procedures for addressing student concerns in the future. I will take the students' concerns back to the faculty leadership team. But it is not good policy to change school rules midstream.''
About 50 students recently staged a ``sit-in'' on the Roanoke Island school's front lawn to protest some new policies and practices Manteo High School administrators began implementing this year. The action was the culmination of about four days of unrest when students set off nine false fire alarms, lit fires in two bathrooms and called in a fake bomb threat from a cafeteria pay telephone. One senior also was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Many of the students who met with Holmes on Monday, including Michel, participated in the sit-in held during one lunch period.
``We're not Student Government,'' said Michel. ``The Student Government Association just sells doughnuts and builds floats. They don't really govern or speak for anyone.
``Here at Manteo High, we're being taught how to survive with someone controlling our lives at the same time we're learning about the land of the free and the home of the brave.''
Students offered alternatives for some of the rules they complained about. Among their top priorities for change, Michel said, are:
Reform the out-of-school suspension policy. Currently, students receive one day of out-of-school suspension at a time - as they have in the past. But Michel said since administrators adopted a ``concentrated curriculum'' this fall - making classes twice as long as they were last year - students really miss two days of work for every one day of suspension. Suspended students cannot make up missed work.
``Basically,'' Michel said, ``that's asking a student to fail.''
The group of 18 asked Holmes to consider revising the suspension policy, but did not present any concrete plans yet.
Change the tardy policy. Three late arrivals at class equal one unexcused absence.
``But if you're five minutes late three separate times, that's 15 minutes of class you missed,'' Michel said. ``Instead, we're getting penalized for the whole 90 minutes - and can't make up the work. We'd like another option for late arrivals.''
Stop censoring free speech.
``Administrators censor a lot of literature, clothing, press and speech at school,'' Michel said.
During the student protests, for example, teachers and school officials confiscated fliers and T-shirts depicting Manteo High School as a fascist regime. At least one student photo journalist was asked not to take pictures of the ``sit-in'' because the principal thought it was ``negative news.'' And Michel said Holmes asked students not to talk to reporters.
Have students present during locker searches. This month, administrators installed locks on student lockers for the first time in the school's 11-year history. Administrators retain keys and combinations to every locker and can search them at any time. A schoolwide drug search was conducted Friday.
``We think students should be present, at least, when someone's searching their locker,'' Michel said. ``We'd like that to be a written school policy.''
Include more students in decisions about school policies.
``We know we can't have a say in everything. But we'd like students to at least be represented when administrators are making decisions about rules that affect us,'' Michel said. ``At least, the administrators should know what our opinion is. We just want a voice.''
Change the book bag ban. When lockers got locks, administrators decided students no longer needed to take their backpacks to class. Besides, Holmes said, the large book bags are a fire hazard in crowded classroom aisles. To skirt the ban, some boys are bringing purses to class and other students have begun carrying briefcases. Michel said his group wants the policy changed so that book bags which can fit under desks would be acceptable.
``We're willing to keep them out of the aisles,'' he said. ``But we want them back to save us convenience and privacy. It's just a small part of the problem. But it would make a big difference to us.''
Holmes said there is no chance book bags will be brought back.
Get rid of the ``resource officer.'' This fall, an armed sheriff's deputy began patrolling Manteo High School's halls as part of a program to introduce high school students to law enforcement officers. Administrators say he's there to help students. Students say the gun strapped to his hip intimidates and upsets them.
``If the resource officer is honestly there to be my friend and teach me about the law,'' Michel said, ``why can't there be a plumber in there instead? I'd rather be his friend. And I'd actually learn something useful instead of all the ways I can be arrested.
``Getting rid of the resource officer is the one issue that we're not willing to compromise on,'' Michel said. ``But we were told that he'd be here until the end of the year.''
``That's a grant position and he will stay,'' Holmes affirmed. ``The resource officer will be here all year.''
Michel and his group of 18 students have met separately from the principal about eight times so far. He said they will continue to try to offer alternatives to current school policies and want to work with the administrators - instead of against them. A follow-up meeting with Holmes is scheduled for Nov. 2 at 3:15 p.m.
``Now, the principal has heard us whine about all our complaints,'' Michel said. ``Whether or not she's going to do anything about them, I don't know yet. But we'll keep meeting and see what happens.
``We're trying to look out for the students and make sure our rights aren't infringed on.''
KEYWORDS: MANTEO HIGH SCHOOL PROTEST SIT-IN
by CNB