Some folks say you can't fight city hall.

A group of Petersburg Elementary School parents, however, found some success with the Grant County Board of Education.

Acceding to an appeal by the parents, BOE members agreed to broadly interpret the school system's new classroom assignment policy to meet their needs.

The policy, which has recently been revised by the BOE, governs how students and teachers are paired at the start of each new school term. Whereas the school system once allowed parents to pick their child's teacher, the policy nowadays uses a blind draw.

Early last month, twins' parents asked that the policy be revised to give them the freedom to ask that siblings be placed together.

Or apart, for that matter.

BOE member Jerry Ours told parents school officials have taken note of their concerns and will be sensitive to children's needs. He said the existing policy really doesn't need any changes because it already allows parents to file waiver requests with the BOE.

"The policy does provide for that," he stated. "Just take your appeal to the board."

Ours told parents he understands their interest in keeping twins together, or apart. He said the policy's real intent is to relieve principals of the pressure brought by some parents.

"No one is trying to split these twins up," he explained.

He added: "I also know of some twins who might want to be separated."

Parents said they weren't trying to circumvent the policy, saying they had no objection to a blind draw being used in selecting the teachers.

Ours said the board would grant waiver requests from twins' parents. It was suggested those parents write waiver letters now in anticipation of next school year.

A second BOE member, Greg Pennington, said keeping twins together can sometimes help parents, who might otherwise face homework assignments from two different teachers.

At the same time, Pennington said he'd like the input of teachers regarding placement of twins, either together or apart.

Dr. Marsha Carr-Lambert said the waiver clause may also come in handy when schools deal with placement of non-twin siblings within the same grade. This is an issue which arises when older siblings are retained.

Carr-Lambert predicted there may be parents of these siblings who may want to assure a blind draw doesn't place them together in the same classroom.

"Sometimes, that maybe isn't a good thing," she stated.