I attended one of four public input meetings regarding a possible school district referendum. I agree with the Nov. 14 Oregon Observer article “Safety First.”
When attendees at this meeting were divided into five discussion groups, independently, without fail, each group reported that safety of precious students and staff is of primary importance, regardless of any other referendum issues.
A second point was the desire of citizens to know the costs of individual aspects of any prospective referendum. The community wants a breakdown rather than being asked to vote “yes” or “no” to one large package that includes everything from soup to nuts.
A third point was the need for more opportunities for input from parents, students, teachers, and citizens with no children in school. I agree with board member Rae Vogeler, who stated in the Nov. 14 article, “People were engaged.
Sure, we’d like more … I saw it as the beginning of the process.” The meeting I attended included 15 to 20 talkative citizens. That was a good turnout, considering short notice and minimal advanced publicity. One participant, a former Oregon teacher, said he would have been afraid to speak up at such a meeting two years ago, but now that he works in a different district, he feels free to participate.
With school districts in the business of educating students, administrators and board members should know that it takes time, effort, and repeated messages to educate the community about referendum issues. A school district that genuinely wants community input will find ways to encourage that input.
It is disingenuous of school board member Steve Zach to say he was disappointed in the turnout for the four sessions, noting that 42 residents and 11 staff members participated. Zach did not attend the Fitchburg session that I attended, and he did not attend the other three sessions either. It is nervy of Zach to criticize the community for apathy, when he wasn’t there to hear what the citizens had to say. I commend school board member Rae Vogeler for attending all four sessions.
The school district must focus on safety now and postpone any broader referendum for another year. A huge package of “all or nothing” is not what the community wants; that type of referendum failed last time.
We need more time to discuss and prepare for a broader referendum or preferably a few smaller referendums from which the voters can choose.
Susan Shedivy
Fitchburg