This past week, four Lakeview High School seniors took part in a commercial for Trumbull County Schools. The aim of the project is to promote public schools over charter schools.

Seniors Haylee Matthews, Jacob Huff, Jatise Garrison, and Lauren Paczak headed to Warren G. Harding High School. The four went to various parts of the school to say their lines that encouraged people to question the quality of their education facilities.

Huff asked viewers, “Do you have outstanding athletic facilites?” and Matthews asked, “Are your teachers certified?” The scenes were filmed by Harding students who took the four to the pool, weight room, library, and office.

Matthews described the event as, “a good experience and [she]’s glad [she] was chosen”, while Huff described the experience as “uncomfortable but fun at the same time.” While the students found the event fun and interesting, they all recognized its seriousness because it is attempting to bring notice to an increasing problem: that privately run charter schools are using taxpayer dollars to deliver an inferior level of education. In addition, taking money from an area’s public schools leaves them shortchanged.

Lakeview Principal Lawrence Herrholtz explained the commercial as, “a coordinated response to the charter school’s continual advertisement of an easier path to a diploma.” The anti charter message is trying to bring attention to the schools that do not always hire credentialed instructor  and see education as a way to make money.

Even though the seniors enjoyed their show biz experience, the commercial is shining a light on an important problem. Lakeview will be awaiting to see our students on the T.V. and Matthews “can’t wait for [her] big debut!”