SCHOOL: A lack of democracy

The Coeur d’Alene school board is out of control. Populated almost entirely by appointees, apparently board members are confused about the concept of representative democracy… A prime example? They recently voted to disband PYP (a parent-funded program at one of our schools of choice) after refusing to do a community survey evaluating the program — despite a petition with more than 700 signatures begging them to get broad input first.

At the most recent meeting, they voted to sell Person Field, pushing for a vote despite the fact that city representatives (scheduled to meet with them) had not yet arrived.

As a citizen this scares me. It’s like something out of a bad movie.

It gets worse. Not content with dismantling school district programs, members have now set their sights on North Idaho College. At a recent meeting of the Reagan Republicans, appointed (NOT ELECTED) board member Jim Hightower announced that he will be doing advertising for NIC trustee candidates who share his agenda — an agenda he’s been willing to ignore his constituents to implement. He also called on members to write letters to the editor to support his undemocratic actions, because community response is so overwhelmingly against the board’s unilateral decision-making process.

This is an insult to intelligent conservatives everywhere.

True conservatives believe in less government and government control. How does eliminating parental choice within our district qualify? No child was forced to attend the PYP program, yet Hightower and company dismantled it anyway.

How is this democracy? What’s next?

BARBARA HALLETT

Coeur d’Alene