By Mary Alice Murphy

At an open meeting at Aldo Leopold Charter School, members of the governing council heard from the parents of the three students, Ella Sala Myers and Michael Mahl, both 16, and Ella Jaz Kirk, 14, who died in a plane crash on May 23, 2014.

ALCS director Eric Ahner said they had thought it would be a closed meeting, but because of the Open Meetings Act, it was open to parents and the public.

Ken Stone, the ALCS board president, called the meeting to order at 6:12 p.m.

Ben Davis, the attorney that represented the families in the lawsuit and settlement with the school, said part of the settlement had been to allow the parents to tell the governing council their stories.

"This video gives insight into the crash and the school's responsibility, what happened and what could have prevented a lawsuit," Davis said.

Patrice Mutchnik, Ella Kirk's mother, spoke first in the movie. "That morning, Ella told me she had received a text from Steve (Blake, the teacher that planned the trip) that he had found a pilot who would take the students in his plane."

Matt Ormand, pilot at Whiskey Creek Airport, said the weather was windy and gustyG