Editorial: With the tension broken, it’s time to focus on the future of Charles City students

As I sat at Charles City’s School Board meeting Tuesday night, I shed a tear because I know the pain that both sides are experiencing.

When news emerged that fall sports wouldn’t be taking place at Charles City High School, questions of why and how quickly flooded social media. Prejudgment quickly overtook the process of understanding and why the decision was made.

Dialogue between parents, concerned citizens, and school board officials Tuesday night made me tear up because a community that I truly love and grew up with was now going through one of the most testing times in nearly five years. For anybody who knows, I spent eight years in Charles City’s school system and 15 years as a coach in three different sports. I elected to distance myself from the conversation (and story) to avoid any conflict of interest, but here in my editorial, I can express myself.

Before I even entered the auditorium for the public forum, I remembered the old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Unfortunately, my mindset quickly went to the television show “Survivor.” Here’s why.

On survivor, there are multiple tribes. Those tribes attempt to best each other for supremacy to topple the opposition. In competitive tasks, the tribe eliminates a member that they deem weak, usually setting aside issues and not resolving them and concluding on how the tribe will benefit more without them.

Tuesday night I witnessed two tribes who have been separated because of a lack of communication and understanding. One tribe was parents who presented concerns and wanted answers. The other tribe was administrators comprehending questions and trying to understand these concerns. These two tribes have been isolated to a degree where communication reached a point of non-existence. That’s not good for either tribe.

The reprieve and the venting at the forum was honestly a much needed breath of fresh air. It’s unfortunate that the loss of fall sports had to trigger it, but parents spoke up about concerns. I’m glad it was a mixture of topics other than sports. Communication, facility concerns, and grades were some of the areas that came to the forefront.

Looking at the viewpoint from elected school board officials, this was what they had been pleading to receive for the past several years. As a regular attendee to school board members, they sought input over and over again. Finally, they’ve got something to work with.

From the parents’ viewpoint, I hope they continue to attend meetings. I’m not saying attend every meeting but stay active and involved. Keep the concerns going and work with the schools.

Nobody’s going to criticize if progress is being made and discussion is being pursued by all parties. Resolutions come from brainstorming. A firm educational foundation grows through investment by students, teachers, school administrators, parents, and the community.

For the small community of Charles City, numbers may dwindle but you can be successful in anything you do, no matter where you come from. Don’t be deterred by not being able to understand certain items. Instead, ask questions and keep making your voice heard. Eventually, someone is going to hear you and you’re going to get an answer.