Parents concerned over C.T.E. vote at schools

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WTOK) -With the upcoming CTE Bond vote happening at county schools Tuesday, many parents are concerned about their children’s safety and the reasoning behind the vote being held at school campuses in the first place.

“It’s a mix of emotions. I think it’s anger and frustration. I’m disappointed in the board members and our superintendent for putting our children at risk,” said parent, Kate Talley. “I think it’s an unnecessary risk that we didn’t have to take when we have an election thirty days away.”

The Lauderdale County School District is taking measures to ensure students are safe throughout the day when voters are visiting school campuses to vote on the bond issue Tuesday. They have made signs to help with parking, put up temporary fencing, and added additional radios for quick communication with Student Resource Officers.

“My two 5-year-olds are going to school tomorrow and they’ll be just fine. If I thought there was a real risk of something then I would not send my own children, but I am,” said Russell Keene, Director of Safety and Transportation for the Lauderdale County School District. “They are going to school and will play just as hard as they do every day in kindergarten, and everything will be just fine.”

However, some parents simply do not agree with the way the voting situation is being handled.

“In my opinion, I believe that they are trying to suppress those voters that won’t go sit in the traffic at the schools

“And if our kids aren’t present then that traffic isn’t there, so it’s not going to pose an issue for them. I think they want traffic, and they want to make it difficult for voters. Nobody knows where the elementary library is at Clarkdale,” said Talley.

The vote will be held Oct. 3 at these school voting locations.

Copyright 2023 WTOK. All rights reserved.