Academic, good-government traditions die in South Range, but largess lives on

Academic, good-government traditions die in South Range, but largess lives on

2Due to budget constraints, and despite the recent “discovery” of more than $600K in additional revenue by district treasurer Jim Phillips, the South Range Board of Education recently terminated the contract of an elementary music teacher. During her many years of service, she was responsible for developing many beloved music performances that had become traditions. These included dinner with dad, evening with mom and grandparents day in addition to a variety of seasonal performances. Due to the overwhelming popularity of these programs, the elementary PTO asked if it could take them over to keep the traditions alive. Several musically gifted students also expressed interest in helping out and continuing the programs via their senior projects, completion of which is a graduation requirement. These requests were denied by administrators who said they could no longer continue due to the loss of the elementary music position. When asked at the June school board meeting to defend the district’s position, superintendent Dunham said he was concerned the “quality” of the programs would suffer.

Additionally, beginning in July another tradition will cease as the board is discontinuing the public comment section of the board meeting. Only public comments that are submitted in writing to superintendent Dunham at least 10 days prior to a meeting and personally approved by him before the meeting will be addressed. To quote former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis: “If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.” The irony that the district encourages, via the awarding of extra credit, the American government students to attend school board meetings while at the same time restricting the attendees’ freedom of speech is apparently lost on board members and administrators.

A tradition that will continue in the coming school year is the largess bestowed upon district employees. Superintendent Dunham, Treasurer Phillips, and the building principals will continue to have the district pay their share of their STRS retirement contribution; it’s a deserved part of their compensation, they say, and it’s a meager 40 to 50 thousand dollars. That’s peanuts in a school budget in excess of $10 million, a rounding error if you will. And don’t even whisper that the district should consider a performance audit as a means of identifying additional cost savings.

Remember, “it’s all about the kids” – until it isn’t.

Rich Ferenchak, North Lima