Conway Public Schools criticized by the community over recent anti-trans school board decisions

Conway, Arkansas – Following recent school board decisions, Conway residents met on Tuesday to “take action” against Conway Public Schools.

The conference on Tuesday was dubbed S.O.S., which stands for Save Our Schools.

Arkansas’s restriction on transgender children receiving medical care is overturned by a federal appeals court.

At the meeting, many parents, including Maureen Skinner, spoke. “We are bleeding teachers, we are bleeding talent from the state. the school board policies is putting undue pressure on teachers to have discriminatory attitudes towards children, that hopefully they love and care about,” Skinner said.

Conway’s St. Peter’s Episcopal Church’s rector, Greg Warren, addressed the audience and discussed why so many parents were dissatisfied with the Conway Public Schools.

“I think the focus the administration and the board have taken on bathrooms, books, and what you can say or can’t say, is a distraction from what really matters,” Warren said.

Maureen Skinner, whose daughter attends the Conway Public School System, claimed she went to the meeting out of concern that these policies would endanger Conway schools.

“Watching this play out and see how it’s, you know I work with the parents of the LGBTQ2+ community, they are terrified, they are afraid that their children are going to die,” Skinner stated.

This struggle, in Greg Warren’s opinion, was far from over.

“This is something that will be continual, a long-term game, this is not going to be something in 5 months we disappear. This is a commitment,” Warren said.

Cameras were not allowed inside the meeting and KARK 4 New tried speaking with a couple of educators there, but they were not willing to speak due to the fear of their job.

Skinner said when it comes to the school board positions, they hope the people of Conway will choose someone who represents and looks out for the safety of all children.

According to Skinner, they are hoping that Conway residents would elect school board members who will represent and protect the safety of all children.