Should the NE School Board and School Administration Respond to Questions?

In this writer’s opinion, one of the most important jobs for the community’s continued success and growth would be a job that pays no salary and offers no fringe benefits. I’m writing about the North East School District’s Board of Directors. A school with a good academic history, a good athletic program, an outstanding music program, etc. can attract new businesses, new families and help keep existing families here. THOSE QUALITIES MAY BECOME VERY IMPORTANT IF PRESIDENT TRUMP PUSHES THRU SCHOOL CHOICE.

I hope the entire community recognizes and respects every board member’s public service. However, a solid performance is expected/needed/required to grow the school which plays a significant role in the growth of the community plus, they can change kids’ lives.

The board’s job is to oversee the district’s superintendent and business manager. As such, those employees answer to the board and they all answer to you and me, the parents and taxpayers. It’s our kids, and “we pay the freight!” The Pennsylvania Open Meetings Law (Sunshine Law) was written to make sure the public has access to the operations of their local school.

However, there are numerous instances of Superintendent Hartzell and the board not answering very reasonable questions from the public. It gives me pause to think they don’t feel the need to answer to the taxpayers. For full disclosure, school boards are not required to answer questions (Open Meetings Law) but are encouraged to do so and the district’s own community policies, #900, encourage communication. So, I find it very troubling that the following has happened.

I’ve been told by sources I find reliable, that school attorney Sennett suggested to school board members they not answer questions a community/taxpayer might raise. Certainly, individual board members cannot speak for the board but there is no law or rule saying they can’t speak for themselves if they choose to. In fact, the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees board members the Right of Free Speech! Board members might not like to answer a “tough, probing question” but they must support a person’s right to ask the question. If members of Congress (people that run our country) can answer questions, it seems to me local school board members who run our school, could also. In addition, it’s a great way to evaluate a board member or superintendent’s performance. When I ask questions, that’s what I’m doing.

So, I sent an email to each of the nine-board members, my elected representatives, asking if it was true if they had been told not to respond to my questions. I received zero responses.

In my world, the lack of an answer is an answer. What I find particularly troubling is in the Oath of Office each board member takes, the members each agree to uphold the United States Constitution, which includes the First Amendment, free speech. Attorney Sennett apparently thinks he can trump the Constitution. And worse yet, no veteran board member has stood up to him while you and I (the taxpayers) pay the attorney his salary!

However, when issues taxpayers may find troubling are not answered, the community has no choice other than to assume that EACH board member regards those questions as not worth answering. Any of the nine board members could have told me my email assertion was wrong, thus defending attorney Sennett, but no one responded to a question that had a simple “yes or no” answer.

If those operational shortfalls exist how can the community rely on this board/superintendent/attorney to make sure our tax dollars are spent in a wise manner and that students are learning? Apparently, the concerns of John Q. Public aren’t important.

Regards to all, my concerns are my own based on what I believe to be factual information and the failure for my questions to get answered.

Jeffery Buchholz