By AARON HOLMES – Print Senior Copy Editor
Members of the Clarke Central High School PTSO seek to increase student turnout at meetings.
Members of the Clarke Central High School Parent Teacher Student Organization have aimed to include students in their decision-making process this year, according to PTSO secretary Karen Smith.
“Last year we invited representatives from student clubs to come to one of our meetings to describe their activities and accomplishments. This was a great meeting because we enjoyed hearing from students and having their input into the evening’s discussion,” Smith said.
But despite this, student turnout at PTSO meetings is low, a trend that Smith says the PTSO hopes to change.
“We would like to hear more from students and have more students at our meetings,” Smith said.
According to Smith, some operations of the PTSO require student input and will not be successful unless there is an increase of student attendance at PTSO meetings.
“We would like student input on the Senior Reception. In the past, it has been planned by the junior class parents with no input from students and it has not been particularly well-attended,” Smith said.
Senior Jyrekis Collins says that he is generally unaware of PTSO meetings.
“I’m not sure when they meet or what the meetings about. But I’m sure if I knew more about it I’d be more willing to get involved,” Collins said.
Collins, who is the Student Body President, says that, by contrast, students feel that they have more of a stake in the Student Government Association than in the PTSO.
“I think it’s fair to say students pay more attention (to SGA) because it’s a student-run organization for students,” Collins said.
Regardless of the cause, Smith says that student involvement is crucial to PTSO operations.
“We need to hear from students about how to make it more appealing and more meaningful,” Smith said.
