A group of Ripley parents and community members get high marks for it telling like it is at a Board of Education meeting in August.
In a petition to the school board, 147 residents agreed with this premise: "We ... demand that the Ripley Central School District Board of Education bring a referendum to the Ripley community on tuitioning of students in grades seven through 12. We believe that this option will bring more opportunities for the Ripley students. We the undersigned are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to bring this to a vote."
The urgency behind the petition, according to Allen Mellors who spoke for the group, is due to the school's lack of educational opportunities. "Ripley is below expectations of being able to provide the classes its students need," he said.
"What the group is hoping for is not what the school is hoping for."
Fortunately for the group, the school board seems to be open to the idea at this time. President Robert Bentley said the board might seek a vote on the tuitioning option in October or November.
Later in the meeting, Bentley took a shot at state policies. But how can Ripley officials complain? Its district receives 74 percent of its aid from Albany.
Board members must remember to not bite the hand that keeps its tiny district in existence.
