Scott Robbins isn’t just looking for a good grade, he is looking to change his school district, United South Central.

As a project for his freshman year civics course, Robbins choose the option for which you write a bill for the state legislature and lobby to get it passed.

&uot;Earlier in the year one of our assignments was to attend a school board meeting,&uot; Robbins said. &uot;I saw that school board members fended for their own turf. It seemed like they were more interested in what decisions might be best for their towns instead of what might be best for the students of the district.&uot;

Robbins, the son of a district teacher and the district police liaison, decided he’d write a bill to make his district an ‘at large’ district, meaning it wouldn’t be split up into precincts for board elections.

He believes that by doing so, it would make members accountable to the whole district. He also said it would help to get the best people in those positions.

&uot;Instead of just taking the best of Kiester, Bricelyn or Wells, you get the best of the best,&uot; he said. He added that if the same rule were to be applied to a superintendent seach, they wouldn’t find the best candidate.

Robbins was encouraged by Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, to actively pursue the bill. Cornish told him the process to bring the bill to law.

The first thing he must do is collect signatures for a petition. He needs to collect 10 percent of the last elections’ voters’ signatures. He can either present them to the board, who can make a motion to have a referendum for a vote. If they don’t pass it, he can bring the petition to the state and have it put on a bill, which would bring the vote back for a referendum in the district.

Robbins’ teacher, Thomas Williams, said he hopes that Robbins will continue in his efforts, even though the project has already been graded.

&uot;My hope is that he’ll continue to get his signatures for his petition, it’s going to take some more legwork,&uot; he said. &uot;Once a kid has already gotten his reward it’s not always easy for them to continue. That’s when we’ll see if he’s passionate or not.&uot;

Robbins said he would continue his project. He has about 170 signatures, and needs 200 more before he can bring it to the board or the state.