LETTER: Contrary to headline, school did permit student walkout

To Ozaukee Press:

I was very surprised to the read the headline on your news story last week stating that “CG-Belgium School District didn’t allow student walkout on March 14.” The headline was inaccurate and misleading.

On the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District website, Dr. Jeanne Courneene, superintendent, wrote, “Students who are absent for part or the full day on March 14, 2018 will be excused as long as parent permission has been granted and the school office has been notified.” This allowed students to exercise the option of participating in the national school walkout event if they had their parents’ permission.

As a former employee of the school district, I chose to visit the school at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, to lend any moral support students might need (if they came to stand with me) or to publicly witness in support of the walkout if they did not. Nine high school students joined me to stand facing the school commons, and Dr. Courneene came over to thank all of us for our activism. 

She was true to her word, allowing students to participate in the national walkout as they chose, and is to be commended for her thoughtful response to all of the district students’ needs.

Leigh Hoftiezer

Oostburg

Editor’s comment: Leigh Hoftiezer is right. The headline and news story about the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District student walkout concerning gun violence on last week’s Belgium community news page were wrong. Students were allowed to participate in the walkout, and nine did. A statement issued by School Supt. Jeanne Courneene encouraged students to take part in school-sanctioned events related to the Parkland, Fla., school shootings rather than walking out of classes, but advised that students who chose to be absent from classes on March 14, the walkout day, “will be excused as long as parent permission has been granted and the school office has been notified.” We regret the error, and commend the school district for accommodating students who elected to take part in the demonstration.