School Board meeting

Portsmouth High School has been dealing with a variety of disciplinary problems. In school weekly detentions seemed not to be enough, so an idea of Saturday suspension was a debatable issue.
Tim Steele, a member of the school board, suggested at the meeting Jan. 24 that students attend an 8 a.m. until noon dentention session.
During the discussion, a parent, Peggy Bacon did not think it was a good idea.
“I work six days a week, including Saturday morning, and it’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday,” said Bacon.
Steele argued his proposal will benefit the children by not missing any class. In-house suspensions required students to spend a school day under a close supervision of a faculty member in an empty classroom. During the year of 1995, 154 students received in-house suspensions and were not allowed to make up the class work they missed during the day.
“I know this isn’t good news for parents, but I hope the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules,” said Steele.
A resident, Bob Farely, liked the idea of weekend suspensions. He thinks parents should begin taking responsibility for their kids.
“Parents aren’t teaching their kids any discipline, so the kids have no respect for rules,” said Farely.
One of the biggest discipline problems Portsmouth High Scholl have had was smoking inside or outside of school property, and Steele wanted to put an end to it.
“I just want to keep students from smoking in the high school bathrooms,” said Steele. “There are other problems, but smoking is by far the biggest one.”
But Bacon said the parents will end up paying for it because of higher taxes and ruined Saturdays.
“I know my son will probably wind up on the Saturday list at some point, but I’m not going to force him to go,” said Bacon.
Lisa Gallagher was one of the five high school students who attended the meeting. She expressed her opinion by challenging the idea of what happens to students of do not attend Saturday suspensions.
“What are they going to do, make them stay all weekend?” said Gallagher.
Steele said students would not be able to attend school until they make up the Saturday suspension.
At the end of the meeting the board voted 5-3, but the decision will be postponed until the next meeting March 7 due to an absent member.