RICHMOND, Va. -- As some parents picked up free school supplies at two events in Richmond Saturday, they expressed concerns over safety and security.
Catherine Peebles braved the heat and long lines Saturday to pick up free shoes for her four grandchildren.
"I appreciate it, yes, I do," Peebles said.
She said the shoes are a blessing since she spends nearly a $1,000 on school supplies with just one income.
Shoes for students event.
With kids excited to see their friends and teachers, parents like Cee-Jee Redd worry about the first day at Richmond Public Schools.
"I think the schools are good as far as elementary, [but] when you get to the middle and high, we have too many communities that’s in one school," Redd said. "And that’s where a lot of our conflict is coming from.”
Martin Luther King Middle School.
Some students are moving to another school, while others will face new teachers at Martin Luther King Middle School.
That is where school leaders are dealing with a high teacher vacancy rate at the city’s newest East End school.
"Well, if the students weren’t disrespectful, they will come," Redd said. "They would want to come to the school and teach, but they don’t want to come because the kids have no respect for them.”
Kids playing basketball at back-to-school event.
And as the school system works on its challenges this school year, Redd encouraged parents to focus on their children before they walk through the doors.
"They just have to look at the bright side. Send your child to school to learn and to not show off on the teachers,” she said.
