Letter to the Editor

McKenna sets record straight

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Dear editor,

As a current Board Member of the Richard McKenna Charter High School, I wish to set the record straight with regard to disparaging remarks in the Mountain Home School District Board of Trustees meeting minutes of April 10, 2012.

The students at Richard Mc-Kenna successfully passed Idaho's AYP tests last year. Our students are some of the hardest working youth in Mountain Home, and our teachers are outstanding.

We do not weed out the challenged students. In fact, we embrace them and nurture them through their educational years so they can face the world prepared upon graduation. Our graduation diploma is the same state standard diploma that any graduate of any Idaho public school receives.

It is certainly recognized by our U.S. Military, and our students are just as eligible for service as any other high school graduate. Please refer to the FY 2012 Defense Authorization Bill which clarifies this and was signed into law by the President of the United States.

As for the allegation that we violate Federal Law by not accepting special needs' students, that simply is not true. We have a number of students with special needs and an excellent instructor that really knows how to reach these challenged students.

The fact that the chairman, Jim Alexander, and one of the trustees, Rick Checketts, of our local Mountain Home School Board would make such disparaging, incorrect statements on the record regarding another public school in Mountain Home is disgraceful.

I believe a full public apology to the students and staff of Richard McKenna Charter High School is in order. I encourage the public to go to www.mtnhomesd.org, school board section, SB meeting minutes and review these cheap shots yourself.

Sincerely,

-- Douglas B. Mayne, Board Member Richard McKenna Charter High School