A SCHOOL BOARD THAT IS GIVING UP CONTROL

WE HAVE BEEN CRITICAL SEVERAL TIMES TO STATE AND FEDERAL CONTROL OF EDUCATION THAT HAS IMPOVERISHED OUR SCHOOLS INTELLECTUALLY, BUT THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME IN 45 YEARS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN SUCH OFFENSE TO OUR LOCAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES.  PLEASE READ ON.

Fifty years ago we had a voters place that was 97% registered Democrat.  What was unusual at the old Barber City tract, an area of dockworkers and airplane builders was that once their party slate was out of the way, they did a complete flip flop and voted Republican for trustees of elementary and high school boards of trustees; they wanted conservative oversight where their children were concerned, heavy math and reading, no frills, board members that were successful farmers, prudent male overseers to run a district successfully.

Today we have a board that gets most of its campaign funding from the teachers union, the Westminster Teachers Association, WTA, a branch of the controversial NEA.  To each member this is worth thousands, over $19,000 for two school candidates just two years ago.  This figure was taken from their election statements on record at the Registrars office.  Astounding.

The teachers are receiving 72% of the Education Budget, highest percentage of the 12 elementary districts in Orange County and looking for the smoking gun, we're startled to see that textbooks have slipped from 1.51% of that particular budget to .288%, about one-fifth while other districts have maintained their purchase percentage.  We ask, "could this be true?"  Has the board closed their eyes to the responsibility to taxpayer and child?  The smoking gun may be elsewhere; we only had the county Financial Report to go by, if not books, then what else suffered?

If the three incumbents in this year's Nov. 5 election are elected, and if we're right in our analysis, the kiss-of-death will again touch the buying of text books.  At a recent candidates night, board chairman Michael Verrengia, when asked where the campaign funds come from, replied to the audience:  "From the WTA (teachers union) and we're proud of it."  A brazen boast.  If it was $19,000 in year 2000 how much will you be subsidized this year, Mr. Verrengia?  We find this appalling.

Westmisnter Herald

Thursday, October 24, 2002

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