My attention was drawn to Gary Gerard's April 10 Newswrap column. The column regarding SB 391 told only part of the story. Since Gary was not in Indianapolis to attend the committee meetings where the bill that governs school publication requirements was heard, I wish to share the reasons many of us supported SB 391 and its amendment to grant school districts an alternative to publishing the school performance report in the legal ads of local newspapers. The present law requires schools to publish their performance reports in the legal ads. Few people are reading them and the expenditure by the school districts does little to help the public understand their schools.
Newspapers publish important news in the news section of their papers.
Had Mr. Gerard's page 1 column been in the legal ads, I wouldn't have seen it. To see the school report under present law, you have to buy a newspaper. For parents whose incomes barely meet the family's living expenses, the purchase of a newspaper is an extra they often do without. Under SB 391 and its amendment, the school district would spend its money on producing the report and the report would then be free to every parent and patron. Copies would either be sent home to parents or mailed to them.