Letter: Upcoming special school board election has consequences
To the editor,
– Math proficiency levels at the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District, a “District of Excellence”, are currently at 28.57%, more than 10% below California’s average and more than 20% below the national average. As with all government-run schools, PRJUSD is largely controlled by the teachers’ union. The union spends thousands of dollars on and campaigns for their hand-picked school board candidates. They, in turn, are pressured into voting for higher staff pay and benefits and supporting a multitude of partisan political ideologies.
A mere eight weeks after retired Marine Lt. Colonel Kenney Enney was selected by the Paso Robles Board of Trustees to fill a vacancy, members of the teachers union, guided with a wink and a nod by San Luis Obispo County Superintendent of Schools James Brescia, targeted Mr. Enney for removal.
San Luis Obispo County Clerk Elena Cano coached the school district’s union employees on the best way to remove Mr. Enney. He was removed from the board after just 60 days in the seat due to a petition circulated by union school employees.
We might ask, why would union school district employees target Kenney Enney? After all, he is a college instructor with two master’s degrees, a Marine combat veteran, and the former Commanding Officer of a large, prestigious military training unit in Monterey. He is 100% qualified to serve on the school board. What egregious action might he have possibly taken during only three school board meetings?
Perhaps it was that he began asking questions about the district budget. Or, that he started exploring strategies to improve educational outcomes, classroom management, and student safety. Or, perhaps it was because he wanted to preserve parental rights and increase board communication with parents and community members.
No, it appears that Lt. Colonel Enney had to go because he wasn’t singing on key with the union school board members. Subsequently, a special election, at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $500,000, is now scheduled for April 18, to determine who will fill the vacant seat.
Beginning on March 20, everyone registered to vote within the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District will be mailed a ballot. A vote for the union-backed candidate, Angela Hollander, is a vote for the status quo: classroom chaos, substance use in student bathrooms, fights, gang activity, and abysmal educational outcomes. In contrast, a vote for Kenney Enney can have far-reaching, positive consequences for Paso Robles youth.
Let’s make a good choice. Vote for Kenney Enney.
Ron Cuff
Paso Robles
Commander, USN Retired
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