Letter: Shocked that school board will revisit school closure and move to build pool
To the editor,
I was shocked to read yesterday that the Paso Robles School Board is revisiting school closure and a decision they made a month ago and moving to build a pool! These items are collapsed together on the agenda for 3-22-2022 under Item I 2.
Shocked because a school district does not have money for a school but they do for a pool.
Shocked because after over a year of meetings – community, school staff, families and others met in the 7-11 Committee, the Grade Configuration Committee, the School Boundary Committee and others – Trustee Baker wants to revisit the closure of a school – against the board’s decision made just over a month ago.
Shocked because the Georgia Brown community was invited to participate in all the meetings over the past year and are only now objecting to the compromise option selected at 2-8-2022 Board Meeting.
Shocked because this revisiting pits one school community against another. Instead of a unified school district, division is being created.
Shocked because the school board and leadership staff of PRJUSD are spending time and resources revisiting items that have been decided when there are numerous pressing education needs and issues demanding attention.
Shocked because trustees and district leaders could be spending this time and effort on actual school district issues – for instance:
– Student success,
– Programs to make up for learning loss and social-emotional impacts of quarantine,
– Monitoring progress students have made to date
– Developing recruiting plans to attract more staff and families to PRJUSD schools
Revisiting the same issues over and over is not leadership. Pitting a school community against another school community is not leadership.
Building a pool with no funding for maintenance and upkeep costs is irresponsible and not leadership. Our students deserve leadership and innovation and the highest quality education. This board has yet to deliver.
As a concerned taxpayer and voter, I will again voice my concerns to the school board as I have over the past year. However, after participating in good faith in the processes they designed to find a solution to the school closure dilemma I will now be turning my energy to working to elect all new school board trustees in the election in November and in 2024.
No incumbent trustee will receive my vote — unless they can show leadership and solve some of the problems facing our school district.
I encourage every community member, every family, and every student in the school district to share their comments and take action to make our schools the best they can be. We can do what is right for our students, even if they won’t.
Sincerely,
Laura Parker
Paso Robles, Calif.
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