At the following BOE meeting, Oct. 20, several patrons voiced frustration that the programs were ending.

However, many also thanked the board for the decision as they were concerned about the funds going to these contractors.

A community blog site, Rockwood: What’s Going On, included a post about the contracts citing concerns with Harris’s connection to the SHERAH program. He is quoted on the SHERAH website saying, “I have been involved with the program since its inception.”

But Harris said much of the information circulating is based on inaccuracies and the concerns are not as much with programs, but a personal issue with him.

“You can be mad at me, but don’t hurt these babies. They didn’t do anything. They did nothing to have this program yanked from under them,” Harris said.

The blog also negatively commented on Shante Duncan’s business practices.

Duncan runs SHERAH and the L.O.V.E. Project in Rockwood. She found the comments hurtful.

“Anybody that has worked with me knows that for me, it was never about the money,” Duncan said.

Jones said she has had a close relationship with Duncan since she started attending Girls Group her freshman year.

“Ms. Shante is one of us. She’s been through what we’ve been through, and she’s a part of our culture. Seeing someone that looks like you do it, you get the sense that you can do it too,” Jones said.

Jones was ready to get started again with Girls Group before the board voted no on SHERAH’s contract extension.

“I really liked it because it was a space where I felt included. Not all of us have the same issues, but we all relate to the same stuff and there was never judgment,” she said.

Jones said the meetings not only strengthened her sense of sisterhood with her friends, but also her perception of certain situations changed because of Duncan’s exercises.

“Maybe I’m not feeling school one day, I would think about what Ms. Shante would say. You might not be feeling it this day, but you still have to put your all and give people the respect you want to get back,” Jones said.

But, Imig said some people have misinterpreted the board’s decision, and believe it was racially motivated. She said that is not true at all, especially since two of the no votes came from people of color.

“I come from a third world country. I am an Arab woman. This has nothing to do with race,” Imig said. “I know the community is divided, which is sad because we need to come together for our students.”

She also said the situation has become too political, something Harris agrees with.

“This wasn’t about us. This wasn’t about programming for all students. It was politics. It was what the community was saying,” he said.

Following the decision, Harris said he never thought he’d be put in the position to fight for vulnerable kids.

“It’s not about the programs. It’s about taking something away from kids that truly need it, and that’s not who we are. That’s not what we do in public education,” Harris said.

Rhomberg and Imig both agree students could be helped using resources in the district.

“Students need a champion every day. If we took the initiative, we could create a program that would support more of our [students] across the district,” Rhomberg said.

Harris said he wants to explain how he wants to help students moving forward. For now, Harris said it is up to the community to respond.

“I hope students use their voice to have conversations with [leaders] to be able to talk about why these programs are important,” he said.

Duncan said she wants the girls to let the board sit on their decision instead of arguing.

“We know we have a right to exist just like anybody else, and we will never beg for anybody to accept us. That’s not what this program is about,” she said.

While they were all close before, Jones said the group has distanced from each other ever since the contract ended.

“A void is there now. Coming into this school just doesn’t feel the same,” she said.