Letter: Voters should decide who represents them on school board
To the editor,
Statement about the PRJUSD special election
– In the United States, voters pick their leaders, not the other way around. That’s why a group of community members, parents, students, and teachers have asked for an election to fill the school board seat vacated by Chris Bausch, as allowed by our state education code. We should let the voters in the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District decide who represents them.
In the past year, our Paso Robles School Board has filled two board positions by appointment.
A year ago, the current school board appointed Frank Triggs to a vacant seat over other more qualified candidates. In October, the board faced a second opportunity to fill a vacancy. Rather than allowing that seat to be filled by vote, they appointed a candidate just before the November election.
Instead of selecting a candidate who is committed to every student in the district having access to an education that prepares them for the future, they chose someone with more interest in national politics. His inflammatory rhetoric on social media distracts from the real challenges faced by our students.
The appointment of Kenneth Enney was wrong for our community, our schools, and especially our children.
This November Paso Roblans had an election and we elected moderate candidates who have vowed to make student success and fiscal responsibility their top priorities. They are backed by teachers and staff and are committed to every student having access to an education that supports them and prepares them for the future- this is something Paso Roblans want. Paso Robles voters in this election resoundingly rejected the politics of division.
No matter what we look like or where we come from, most of us believe all children should have the freedom to learn and pursue their dreams. Let’s join together and protect those freedoms by continuing to elect school board trustees who want our schools to be places where every child belongs and can thrive.
We look forward to the special election for this board seat and we trust the people of Paso Robles to educate themselves and vote their conscience. Our hope is that we can all agree divisiveness and exclusion of any kind is not only wrong, but a bad example for our children as they grow into adults in a vibrant and diverse community and world.
Signed,
Carey Alvord-Schof
Darrel Schof
Elena Garcia
Kathryn Myers
Julie Seden-Hansen
Juanetta Perkins
Susana A. Lopez
Laurie L. Bryant
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