GEORGETOWN — More than 25 veterans and supporters attended the Georgetown-Ridge Farm School Board hearing Monday night to make their voices heard regarding their opposition about possible student attendance on Veterans Day.

Board members were considering approval of a waiver request that would allow students to attend school on Veterans Day. If approved, the waiver would have given the board the option to approve student attendance for the next five years.

Superintendent Kevin Tate said while he has great respect for veterans, he had a responsibility to bring the waiver before the board due to that they are part of the county schools’ common calendar. Vermilion County schools as a whole negotiated and agreed two years ago on a universal calendar that all would make an effort to follow.

Georgetown-Ridge Farm students did attend class on Veterans Day 2007.

“So that’s what I was doing,” said Tate of the hearing about the Veterans Day waiver. “I’m not here to offend any veterans. That’s not what I’m here to do at all.”

Tate said the common county calendar is beneficial to the schools because of programs such as College Express, dual credit classes with Danville Area Community College and the special education cooperative. However, he said it isn’t impossible to go against the county calendar either.

Charles Merle Maple Jr. of Georgetown heard about the hearing through a fellow veteran and came because he was against students attending school on Veterans Day. He said he felt if students were in school on the day, it would be as if he and his fellow veteran members had served for nothing.

Kenneth Parmley of Ridge Farm is a former Marine and said he felt the board might already have had their minds made up to go along with the other county schools. He said on Veterans Day he’d like to see students doing things like he did when he was young.

“We celebrated Veterans Day as a whole town, together,” Parmley said.

The issue of the Veterans Day waiver approval did arise in the regular meeting, but the issue died for lack of a motion by any board member.

“There will be no student attendance on Veterans Day,” Tate said.

Students will have to make up the missed day somewhere else on the calendar, which will be determined by the board at another time. The calendar for the 2008-09 school year for Georgetown-Ridge Farm has not yet been approved.

The waiver issue could be brought up again next year if the board decides it is needed for the 2009-10 school year.

In other business, board members:

-- Approved the retirement of Superintendent Kevin Tate effective June 30, 2009.

-- Approved changes to the Georgetown-Ridge Farm High School handbook. Changes regarding clothing include that only Bermuda-style shorts or capris are now allowed. Also, no clothing with confederate flags, swastikas or other symbols that may be disruptive to the educational process can be worn.

-- Tightened the tardiness policy, which became more detailed and comprehensive. The biggest change is that students receiving their fourth tardy must be brought into school by a parent and have a conference with the vice-principal.

All changes to the handbook also were approved by a consensus of a committee of students, parents and teachers.

-- Approved the retirement of Rick Rusk, high school guidance counselor, effective Dec. 19.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Georgetown-Ridge Farm School Board changed its next meeting. They will meet at 7 p.m. May 27 at the superintendent’s office.