ILLINOIS (WBC/DANA COMM.) — In late July of this year around 150 school leaders from across the state of Illinois formed a ‘Make-It Local’ group to meet virtually and discuss current events with each of their districts. This group, as the name might indicate, is pushing for local decision-making to be brought back to communities that elect school boards, that in turn hire school leaders to make decisions in the best interest of staff and students at these schools.

Tuesday, an op-ed letter was signed and released by this group explaining from their point-of-view how the control and decision-making process has slowly been taken away from school districts not only since March of 2020 at a much more rapid pace because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but before that, over time, and through past administrations.

Melanie Andrews is the Superintendent of Mt. Vernon Township High School. She says the letter was less about a vaccine mandate or the annoyance everyone feels wearing a mask, but more about the frustrations of not even being in the conversation to discuss choices made for her faculty, staff and students.

You can view the editorial in full at the link to this story on our website, wmix94.com/wdml.com. Fifteen schools in the Regional Office of Education #13 have signed in support, including the ROE Office itself. In addition to the ROE #13 schools and MVTHS, six others here in Jefferson County have signed: Rome, Woodlawn, Field, Bluford, and Spring Garden.