Letter to the editor: Cost of school board special election is an appropriate use of funds
To the editor,
I find the social media posts made by appointed and now removed school board member Kenney Enney regarding transgender students concerning. I don’t understand the need to single this group out. They have the right to participate in programs, activities, and facilities based on their gender identity guaranteed under state law AB 1266.
While it is unfortunate that the school district has to foot the bill for the special election, it is a price that the outgoing school board members are directly responsible for, as they could have appointed Kenneth Parish, a more qualified candidate with moderate political leanings, or allowed the new school board members to make an appointment. Mr. Enney also could have resigned, which would have given the school board an opportunity to appoint his replacement, but he has refused to do so.
The district has recently received a large increase in overall revenue from state and federal sources including one-time money. It is these one-time-use funds that will pay for the special election. This is an appropriate use of this funding, as it should not be used for salaries or other ongoing programs.
Up until about four years ago, school board positions were fairly non-partisan and school board meetings were, dare I say…a bit mundane. It was challenging to even find candidate statements, much less figure out which political party candidates ascribed to. When candidates accepted endorsements from the Republican party and ran as “the force of four,” promising to deliver on the conservative agenda, they changed the game and the composition of the school board. Blaming liberals or progressives for the division we see today is ludicrous. It is unfortunately now necessary for candidates to align with a party to have the resources needed to campaign and spread their message.
We are faced with a swarm of people at meetings giving public statements pushed out to them by conservative organizations and messages repeated over and over again until they are accepted as true. It is unfortunate and unproductive for this to continue. We need board members who will unite the community and work together for the betterment of the children of Paso Robles, not leaders who use their power to bully a minority of students and encourage groups like the Moms for “Liberty” to push their narrow agenda. We also need the community to step up, reject this divisive nastiness, and figure out how to get along. I am sick and tired of the faux culture wars, the fear-mongering about CRT, and the attacks on teachers and their unions.
The board needs to refocus its priorities and address the needs of all students in our community rather than every meeting being chock full of fear, hurt, and division. This is why I and many others supported the removal of Mr. Enney from the board in favor of giving the community the opportunity to elect a representative who will work to foster unity and represent the best interests of the community as a whole.
Tracy Dauterman
Paso Robles, Calif.
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