By Debbie Carson, Online EditorSEBASTIAN — Sebastian Charter Junior High and other charter schools in Indian River County are handling President Barack Obama’s educational address to students differently. Charter and private schools are not required to follow the School District’s lead on the issue.The district has opted not to air the president’s speech live, and will instead record it, review it and later decide if, when and where the speech might be shown.Sebastian Charter Junior High plans to show the president’s address in all but one of its classrooms. The lone classroom not airing the presidential speech will be the place where about a dozen students will have a reading lesson, according to the school’s principal Martha McAdams. Those students opted out of watching the speech. North County Charter Elementary School’s leaders have decided not to air the speech.St. Peter’s Academy will air the speech in all of its classrooms. The school’s director, Dr. Andrew Jefferson told VeroNews.com during a morning protest at the school district that there’s been no debate at the school over showing or not showing the speech.Imagine Schools of South Vero’s principal, Joe Mills, said that the school has set up one classroom to air the president’s speech for those students whose parents have requested they watch the address live. He said that about 10 students were expected to watch the speech.Attempts to reach Indian River County Charter High School to find out how the school would be handling President Obama’s speech were unsuccessful.St. Edward’s, a private school on the barrier island, at first planned to show the speech in its Waxlax Center for the Arts where students would be allowed to come and go as they pleased. After further consideration, however, school officials have decided to air the speech in the school’s classrooms.
