The public meeting is required each year by the state, due to the fact that the district accepts certain funding. The gathering is designed to allow questions and input from the public on these matters, and others of interest to school patrons.

The meeting will also be the final for board president Shawn Parker, who did not seek re-election after serving just shy of two full five year terms. He'll be replaced by Trent Holcomb, who is un-opposed for the vacant seat.

This month's meeting will also mark a milestone for this reporter, as I will begin my third year of covering the school board meetings for The Piggott Times.

Over the course of the past two years I have attended somewhere around 30 meetings, thanks in part to a series of special sessions called over the past 24 months. At those meetings I have only seen a handful of interested patrons, and that was usually due to some type of controversy.

Here is a novel thought. If you have a child, children or even grandchildren in the Piggott District why don't you attend?

I would like to see some interested patrons on hand, and would love to hear some pertinent questions.

If you don't like the way the board does things come and tell them so, or stop complaining. It's a simple exercise in free speech and is a right that we all enjoy. It also gives the board and administrators feedback from someone other than their immediate family and friends.

The Piggott School District is a public entity, it belongs to no one and is controlled by people of our choosing. I think those facts are often overlooked.

If you are interested in the schools, and want to provide input I encourage you to attend. I'll see you there.