Board didn't follow proper steps
Editor,
It appears Polson School District has become the latest victim in a trend of exclusionary decision-making that has quietly crept through the school boards of Montana. Shrouded in a dark veil of benevolence, and touted as following policy and Montana law, these oligarchic actions are, at their essence, contrary to participatory democracy.
A situation similar to the Polson reconfiguration occurred when the Sun River Valley District voted to close the middle school in a highly contested vote, resulting in one trustee filing suit. The suit was based on lack of public notification, the board's dismissal of need for justification of the superintendent's reasoning, and the inaccessibility of the supporting documents to the public. Through public pressure, Sun River Valley recognized the impropriety of their vote and reconsidered a motion to close the school one month later. The motion failed.
The above event is just one example of a multitude of Montana school board actions in direct opposition to not only the open meeting laws, but the democracy on which our country is founded. The events surrounding the Polson school board's vote on reconfiguration is no different. Some might state that posting meeting notices 48 hours in advance, albeit at the start of the Memorial Day weekend and via handouts brought home by children, fulfills the legal requirements of our state's open meeting laws. Moreover, the public commentary policy is supposedly met by allowing the community their two minutes. But are any of these legalities truly the issue at stake? In a sense, yes; because they are rules that guide and hold us firm in our government.
However, these laws are not meant to be followed as rote motions. They are intended to afford us, the Montana constituents, opportunities to participate in our government. It appears that the true issue lies in the intentions with which these processes were handled. Without the intention to uphold a participatory democracy, our laws mean nothing. They become mere items on a checklist; far from the checks and balances meant to hold our elected officials within the bounds of our government.
Yes, the Polson trustees should be held responsible for their actions in such a dubious and exclusionary process. As our elected officials their duty charges that they represent our voices. But the sustenance of our democracy does not exclusively fall on the heads of our elected officials. It also falls on us. When we do not exercise our rights to participate, our rights slowly erode. And the first issue or process with which we find fault may not appear to directly affect us. Then the second issue appears, and the third; until we get to a point at which we know not where the decay set in. As Robert Maynard Hutchins wrote "The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment."
It is our responsibility to stay connected with our local government. It is our duty to speak out when we believe our officials have erred. Most importantly, it is our inalienable rights that allow us to participate in this democracy.
Heather Davies
Polson
Urges school board to stay with decision
Editor,
This is a copy of letter I sent to the Polson school board:
I am writing you to share my perspective on the controversy that you have been dealing with recently.
First of all, I will mention that I served 12 years as a school board member in Polson as well as chairman of the board.
I fully agree with the decision you have made in regards to alignment of the grades in a single school. It has never made sense to have the grades separated into two schools.
Teachers for each grade should be in the same building so that curriculum can be discussed, common goals set, the children know everybody in their class, and the administrator deals with the same ages of children. Also, the playground will have the same ages to deal with, not much older kids with the younger.
There has been some discussion that has been encouraged about one school is better than the other, which I find divisive.
I have had some discussion with opponents of this change and have tried to point out that you on the board have access to information that cannot be shared due to privacy and liability issues. This was also true for those of us on the board when I served.
Each of you have the interest of the children in mind and the best education that can be given and I, for one, respect what you have done and encourage you to stay with your decision.
It is unfortunate that the state legislature was so late in finalizing the school budget, but I am pleased that they chose to support the schools.
Keep up the good work, we are proud of you, our staff, and our kids.
Dick Christopher
Polson
Stop the fireworks
Editor,
What has to be done to stop the fireworks in Polson? Isn't there anybody out there that feels the same way I do? I have no objection to the commercial display on the river on the night of the 4th, but why do all the men, women and children in the neighborhood get their thrill out of all the noise and lights and booms that go on non-stop 10 days before the 4th. Once upon a time we used to get our thrill from playing games in the house and/or reading or just getting to know the other members of our family.
I have patrolled my neighborhood for three nights in a row at 10:30 p.m. asking people to stop so we and our dog could get some sleep and our dog wouldn't be sick.
Don't you people even feel sorry for the sick, the old, and pets with all the noise? As I patrolled the neighborhood I found children outside in the dark shooting fireworks with no adult anywhere in sight supervising.
What happens if one of these innocent children loses a hand, an arm, an eye or any other injury we could think of — including possible death?
I have known personally of these exact same injuries happening to innocent people. There is always the possibility of starting fires, hurting themselves or burning people's homes.
Our wonderful police department has their hands full just keeping up with their normal responsibilities. Now they have to also patrol neighborhoods and give people warnings about the noise and dangers involved.
Please stop the fireworks!
Emy Atchley
Polson
Better speed control needed near Pablo
Editor,
As you have noticed there is a lot of road construction going on through Pablo. As you go through Pablo the speed limit has been 45 for a long time.
Today, while driving to Ronan, there was a car in back of me riding my butt because he/she wanted to go faster. Where are the cops? Why aren't they patrolling the area more? The same thing happened to me the Sunday of Father's Day.
I was going 45 miles per hour and a car from out-of-state decided to pass me in a 45 mph zone.
We need the cops and highway patrol to be in the area more often. Someone is going to get hurt because of these people that are in a hurry in a 45 miles per hour zone.
Stacy Lynn
Polson
Send attorneys home, let's work together
Editor,
District 23 Board Members, Superintendent McCormick, and Attorney Bea Kaleva:
I find myself very confused about the recent events regarding the breakdown of settlement talks last week. It was my understanding that we were ready to come to an agreement, and all of the requests for information and correct process had been agreed to, by you. Then the next thing I heard over the radio … is that settlement talks had broken down.
This was very disheartening to me as I am concerned about the toll that this issue has taken on our community. Not to mention that we are all hard working, taxpaying citizens and we expect that our tax dollars are going to be used wisely. Hiring attorneys to settle matters that were erroneously handled to begin with can hardly qualify as wise use of tax dollars.
It reminds me of that old proverb, "an ounce of cure is worth a pound of prevention."
Just think for a moment about how much time, money and energy could have been saved if the correct steps had been taken to begin with. We would have all been allowed the opportunity to share our opinions and we would have been heard as a community. We would have had a chance to review research and a budget analysis of the estimated costs. There would have been an opportunity to review alternative plans and costs associated with them, leading to a well researched, well planned reorganization that the community as a whole could have supported. So how can you in good conscious spend those hard earned tax dollars to try to defend an issue that was blatantly mishandled to begin with?
I for one would prefer to see our tax dollars spent on programs such as art, science, and reading, just to mention a few of the endless possibilities, rather than spending money to line the pockets of attorneys. Those attorneys truly don't care about how our community is affected by refusing to come to an agreement. For them this fight is just one more notch in their belt if they can win.
Against the advice of legal counsel, we decided that we wanted to pursue mediation with you in an attempt to settle matters.
Most of us were hoping that we could find common ground to stand on with you in order to work together as a strong and united community. It disappoints me that you do not share that same desire to work together.
My plea to you is this: Let's send home the expensive attorneys who don't care about our schools or our community. Let's draw together to develop a solid, well researched, workable plan that takes into account things such as estimated population growth, model school configurations, and budget concerns. Let's develop a plan that includes students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the public in general.
We have the power to be a model for other communities. Let's set the example of how to work together, not the example of how to fight each other.
Ivy McGowan
Polson
School board acted appropriately
Editor,
The furor over the reconfiguration of Cherry Valley and Linderman Schools is, at best, an outright waste of taxpayer money. Instead of being utilized for education, our dollars are being used to defend our public servants against charges brought by a small, but vocifierous, group.
Years ago, when the elementary schools were split into our current system, many people predicted that it would be divisive. That is exactly what happened. The system today promotes differing philosophies of education, unnecessary duplication of materials, and competition between the two schools.
Elke Allik was correct in noting that it is very apparent to teachers and parents alike that children at Cherry Valley and at Linderman have been exposed to very different learning pathways and have different skill levels. It makes sense that children in elementary grades stay together as a grade, in one building. Thus, they can bond as a group, and same-grade teachers can collaborate to work toward a common curriculum.
Complaints that siblings will be "split up" or that parents will have the inconvenience of picking up children at two different schools are insufficient grounds for litigation. Since buses run between the schools, a parent need only adjust the time they arrive at a single school in order to retrieve their children. And, yes, your children may attend different schools, but they will be part of a cohesive group of children their own age and abilities … throughout their education.
Superintendent Sue McCormick, the Polson School District, and Polson School Board members are united in acting as advocates for public education. Part of their job entails receiving information and making decisions that provide the best learning opportunities for our children, while working within budgetary limitations. When funding information became belatedly available from the legislature, the school board had to move quickly to secure funds to support full-day kindergarten in the Polson District for the coming year.
In doing so, it was apparent that school reconfiguration was the best way to utilize those monies most efficiently. The Polson School Board and Superintendent made their determination in the best interest of the public and as required by Montana state law. They should not have to worry about being included in a lawsuit every time they make a decision. Let our tax money support education, not squandered on frivolous litigation.
Garth Cox
Polson
Failure to follow policy cause of suit
Editor,
As per the article in last week's Leader, I did not become a plaintiff in the only lawsuit I have ever been a party to because I was frustrated with the elementary school reconfiguration.
A lawsuit was filed because a group of informed parents determined the school board did not follow school board policy or the Montana Codes Annotated in their decision to reconfigure. The taxpaying public was completely left out of the decision making process. We did not embark on this course lightly and we have incurred considerable expense to ensure the school board follows the law and board policy.
Journalists have a professional responsibility to write unbiased, fact-checked articles. Polson is a very small community and the rumors and innuendos are a flying. In the future, please interview both sides and research the information prior to publishing. We depend on you.
The plaintiffs will be holding an informational meeting for the community July 11 at 7 p.m. at the Polson Senior Center, 504 Third Ave. East. Please attend.
Rosemary Hickey
Polson
D'Aste Ladies appreciated help
Editor,
The D'Aste Ladies extends thanks to Mark, Mason and Aynalee McNeel for all the help they gave us when we hosted the party at the Leon Clubhouse for the four workers who had to leave their jobs at the Bison Range.
Mark, your offer to mop the floor was a gift we ladies truly enjoyed.
We are now working on the dinner for the reunion of the St. Ignatius High School Class of 1957 which will be held July 28.
Dorla Scott
Ronan