The final votes for the school board election were tallied, and I lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I lost by 22 votes. I always say it, and I often repeat it — the most important elections are local. It’s what impacts us every day, and it’s something we actually have a say in. Thank you to everyone who voted — no matter how you voted. So now it is up to Mandy (Pomeroy) or Meredith (Reed) to find the change we need in our school district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have kids in the district, you may wonder about unreported child abuse and how that impacts your children. If you don’t have kids but pay taxes, you may wonder why the school district didn’t allow tax levies to drop off as they should have — thus increasing your taxes. Either way, you may wonder about cost overruns that seem to be happening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may also wonder about whether all decisions of the school board are discussed openly. You may watch meetings and wonder how all school board members came to a consensus without talking about it in an open meeting — which, of course, doesn’t seem right (or legal). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may ask if our school Superintendent, with only 4,600 students and 7 schools, should be compensated at nearly half a million dollars per year and gets a house and gets a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you REALLY care, you may ask why our caucasian students have such a good outcome, but less than 25% of our underserved students are proficient in math and English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are so many questions for our school district. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I tell my kids, who try to make me feel better about my loss, “I’ve been complaining for a decade. At least I tried to do something.” Now, Meredith and Mandy have a greater responsibility. They have to actually fix it. Execution is always harder than ideas. God Speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are no good or bad ideas. There is only execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are reading this, you likely care about what happens with Park City Schools, too. I would encourage you to delve deep into the issues over the next few months. The next election is huge. Two seats are up for election and the choices we make will influence the future direction of the school district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Incumbents include Mandy Pomeroy and Erin Grady. Challengers include Meredith Reed and Nick Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you like the School District you’ve got? If so, you have a couple of people to vote for. If not, you have a different direction that you can go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Thomas Jefferson said. “The government you elect is the government you deserve.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good luck out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n