Telegraph photo by GRACE PECCI Cadet Col. Adam Landry presents to the Nashua Board of Education Monday evening on a potential Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Air Rifle Marksmanship Course, which would promote training, good sportsmanship and a high standard of performance in the safe use of an air rifle. Board members voted to table the course until receive more information.

NASHUA – The Nashua Board of Education gathered Monday for its first meeting in three weeks. The evening began with a presentation from Nashua High School North’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program representatives Maj. Brian Newton and Cadet Col. Adam Landry.

The AFJROTC DET NH-20141 requested to add the Air Rifle Marksmanship Course to “promote training, good sportsmanship, and a high standard performance in the safes of an air rifle,” as noted in a letter from Newton to Nashua High School North Principal Nathan Burns.

This course would allow JROTC cadets, once trained, to not only practice their skills with an air rifle, but also, as Landry put it, teach life skills, discipline and responsibility. Landry said the top priority of the course is safety, which comes through training, having an instructor for every two students who are shooting, and locking away guns when not in use.

The plan for the course is to share space with the archery club. They plan to use the field behind Nashua High School North, away from the teachers’ parking lot, to practice. They will tentatively practice after school from 2:15-3:15 p.m. When firing is in process, a red flag will be displayed.

Landry said their goal was to receive district approval for the program, and then get a memorandum of understanding and verbal and written consent from the school’s principal.

The presentation left board members with many questions. Board member Dottie Oden asked if they considered the shooting range on Broad Street.

Newton said taking a bus to and from the shooting range every day would be too expensive and could affect the retention rate of cadets. Board member Susan Porter questioned the liability of the school in the unfortunate event of an accident.

Board Chair Heather Raymond referred to state law, which states that students are prohibited from having firearms on school campus. Raymond said she wasn’t sure if this type of gun falls under restrictions, but said board members should have this information before making a decision on the matter.

Oden said she wanted to table the course until receiving clarification and board member Elizabeth Van Twuyver agreed. The board planned to continue to look into policies and guidelines and will revisit the course.

In another development, the debate regarding cursive writing in curriculum continued. Board member Doris Hohensee motioned to a district standard for teaching cursive in third grade for 20 minutes a day, three times a week, as time permits. Board member Howard Coffman seconded this motion. At a state level, teaching cursive is not mandatory. Hohensee and Coffman spoke of the importance of students being able to sign their names in cursive and read documents in cursive.

Other board members did not agree. Board member Gloria Timmons said, “We do not need to tell our educators how to conduct their business during the day.”

Superintendent Jahmal Mosley spoke of the full schedules teachers already have. He said they would have to fit in cursive on top of teaching English, math, science, social studies and other lessons.

“They can’t do it all. If you’re going to put cursive in, something has to come out,” Mosley said.

Board of Education representative for Nashua High School South George Eid said he writes in a mix of cursive and print and said he saw the benefits of being able to read cursive. Eid said, “Maybe it doesn’t have to be three times a week for 20 minutes.”

Board of Education representative for Nashua High School North Jamila-Ashanti Scales said she believes cursive should be part of the curriculum and that students should be able to read their own teacher’s handwriting. She suggested not requiring it, but having it be added in to certain lessons.

Hohensee changed her motion to add a district standard as time permits so that the teacher would have flexibility. The motion failed, 5-3.

During the meeting, Eid told board members Nashua High School North and South are working to make student representative elections more consistent between the two schools. He said at South, they are working to make it comply with state law.

Scales told the board she had concerns about the lack of chairs at her school. Chief Operating Officer Daniel Donovan said has been an issue, as chairs have broken over time. They will be working to fund for more chairs.