Ronan board takes input on IEP

RONAN — The Ronan school board heard hours of public comment Monday night on the district's proposed Indian Education Plan, but ultimately held off on voting on the first reading until it could evaluate the plan further.

Many attending the meeting were a little more than disappointed when the board opted to push the first reading of the Indian Education Plan to its next meeting in May.

The meeting lasted well over three hours, much of that time was used as a Q and A session between Indian Education Coordinator Julie Cajune and the board. However, there were far too many questions to be answered in a reasonable time, prompting the board to decide to move further discussion of the plan into its May meeting.

Several people urged the board to adopt the plan despite the board's uncertainties.

"The only way to get funding in the school is to keep faces in the school," said Melissa Michel, parent of a Ronan student. She recommended that the board pass the bill and "pound out the details later."

"If we don't move on this, we'll continue reading these dreadful proficiency rates," said Ronan high school teacher Ruth Quequesah, reading from the Indian Education Report.

"Once you adopt it, then you collaborate," said Teresa McDonald, Indian mother of five children. "I don't think the school loses anything by moving this forward."

Though many expressed their frustrations, board member Dan Salomon remained firm in his motion not to take the plan to a second reading.

"I've got more questions. I don't feel comfortable moving this to a second reading. If people go home angry, I'm sorry," said Salomon.

Cajune didn't appear to have a problem with delaying the action item further, but did ask the board to agree to having a special meeting to get the plan resolved before she leaves.

"I've been in the district for almost six years and this is my last year," Cajune said.

"I have a tenacious and passionate commitment to support the parents in doing this, but it is also supporting the district in implementing and coming into compliance with its own policy. I can't be here in another six months, that's why Andy [Holmlund supt. of schools] and I had conversations and the IEC had conversations about a timeline for doing this, so if you are to postpone this then I think it would only be a professional courtesy and respect to the parents that you would consider having special meetings," she said.

The board drew criticism from several people who stated that they had their chance to ask questions during a special meeting two weeks ago when Cajune first presented the plan.

Cajune agreed, saying that the meeting was a one-sided conversation and that the board had their opportunity to resolve their concerns regarding the plan.

I've been at my desk for weeks since the meeting and my phone hasn't rang. No one has asked me any of these questions during that time, Cajune said.

Dialog continued for hours, enticing board member Joell Conklin to call for a recess, but not before Cajune and board member Patty Stevens left the meeting.

A little more than half of the audience came back after recess to see the meeting through. IEC department head Joyce Silverthorne was the last to speak her mind on the matter.

"I don't know if I can say what I want to say calmly," Silverthorne said.

"You have lost most of the people in the audience who came to here to hear this issue, that is totally disrespectful. It should be in the best interest in the school to resolve this, and that doesn't mean you have to adopt everything in that document, but you should be able to have the conversations" she said.

Holmlund offered a solution saying he would gather the board's remaining questions and present them to Cajune and Silverthorne so that they could respond prior to the next meeting, allowing the board to address and move through the document.

Salomon assured Silverthorne that the issue hasn't ended, but that he would like to take some extra time to review the plan.

"There is a definite commitment by the board to shepherd this process in a way that is conducive to our students," said Holmlund in a latter interview.

As it stands, the IEC plan will be reviewed again as old business in the next Ronan School Board meeting May 9.