THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 7, 1995 TAG: 9512070011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
I read with interest staff writer Jon Glass' articles ``Reports fault Norfolk school security'' (Sept. 24) and ``Norfolk schools defend safety record'' (Oct. 27). As the mother of the Granby High School student whose death was referred to in the application for the federal grant to conduct the studies, I felt I had an obligation to myself to attend the Sept. 21 School Board meeting when the survey results were presented to the board for discussion.
One member was concerned about how the consulting firms were chosen and if minority firms were considered.
After the Police Department representative stated that his grandchildren attend Norfolk public schools, another board member stated ``If Major Calogrides' grandchildren attend Norfolk public schools . . . we have no problem.''
After listening to most of the points in the surveys being glossed over as ``no problem'' by the board, I felt, as did many other parents who were in attendance, that somebody's tax dollars have been wasted.
I wondered:
1. If everything is wonderful in the school system, why did the administration apply for the grant to begin with?
2. Why would two outside consulting firms note (a) lack of school/Police Department cooperation, (b) gangs in schools, (c) problems with security officers, (d) gang graffiti in their reports if there was no evidence of it?
3. How will the rest of the grant (about $290,000) be spent? To whom is the administration accountable for the funds?
4. Why wasn't the audit done during the regular school year instead of during the summer-school session? One has to wonder what else would have been turned up had this occurred?
I am in agreement with Scott Wilson (letter, Nov. 16) who wrote: ``Our school administrators must stop acting like the ostrich with its head buried in the sand and admit there are serious problems.''
PATRICIA ELLISON
Norfolk, Nov. 29, 1995 by CNB