Public Listening Sessions (2 of 3)

Various comments from the listening sessions: The 8 line items below are general themes and not specific quotes. Based on my notes they cover the topics most referenced in the comments.

1. Comments both for and against consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah

2. Pleas to keep the 4th grade strings program in place.

3. Citizens asking for a referendum (the # of which caught me off guard).

4. Pleas to keep Special Ed. levels as they currently are.

5. Requests to keep clerical staff levels as they are.

6. Comments on the benefits of the library staff and their current levels.

7. Do not make decisions on short sighted goals.

8. Is staff and/or admin. taking a pay cut?

As I sit here pondering all of the various comments from this past weeks 2 listening sessions a few things go thru my head. First, it was so hard to sit thru both sessions and not respond. Second, it is clear that providing correct information to the public is an area the board needs to work on. Lastly, that while intentions are good, some individuals are not willing or able to look at the big picture.

As a board member we do get more detailed information then the general public. While the district puts most, if not all, of this on the website the voters do have to search it out. The voting public also does not get the benefit of hearing each and every comment at the meetings unless you watch them all. This tends to lead to the general public having some misinformation.

This is just a flaw in the system. I am not sure how to or if it is possible to correct this. No matter how diligent the district is about posting information or how good of a job the H-I does in covering the board meetings there will always be information that the general public misses. This is one of the reasons that I believe we elect the school board: to take ALL the information and make sound rational decisions that are in the best interest of our children. The recourse is that if district residents feel an individual member does not make good decisions then they vote to not bring them back on the next time.