FOX 17 streamed the Muskegon Heights board meeting on our Facebook page. Click hereto watch it.
There was no class today for grades 7-12 at Muskegon Heights Academy. School was canceled because of repeated incidents of fighting.
This comes the same day that parents are set to meet with both the Academy Board and the District Board, for the second night in a row, about issues plaguing the school.
Muskegon Heights Academy is financially run by a public school board that's elected, but operated by a different board.
That's becomes of the amount of debt accrued by the district years ago. Since the public school board can't legally run the school, they have to hire a charter to do so.
The board can only serve as the authorizer of that charter and this year, things are running differently, creating growing pains and growing concerns for parents.
Michelle Tyson, a local activist, says she knows a lot of the kids in Muskegon Heights Public Schools because of the after-school and summer programs she runs.
Starting with the kids' curriculum and ending with the lacking number of teachers, Michelle says she's heard the parent's concerns.
"Right now, they're happy for being without no class work," Tyson said, talking abut the kids, but she says that it's "time to make a change."
"Why is it so acceptable for the children that attend Muskegon Heights to only receive the minimum?" she asked.
Elected school board president Trinell Payne says this spring, the board decided to go with a full service management company to run the school. Payne says there's a a lot of misinformation going around the community.
He says two companies were up for the task, with New Paradigm Education getting the job. However, they didn't provide enough teachers.
The school board has been in talks with the Michigan Department of Education and Muskegon Community College, trying to fill the need at Muskegon Heights Schools.
But a nationwide school shortage, and the reputation of the district, doesn't do them any favors.
Michelle Tyson says the struggle is one the community is well aware of.
"It's gonna be a long struggle, it's a long struggle. I'm not gonna sit up here and say that change's gonna happen right away. That's not how change works. Especially if the problem is rooted," she said.
But Tyson says caring is contagious. She also says that transparency and questions need to be answered, given the failed attempts at having a full service management company in the past.
"We are ready to stand up for what we know. We're ready to fight for our children," Tyson said.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m., with parents hoping, like Tyson, for direct answers to important questions.
