Four recalled from Reed City board
Four school board members were narrowly recalled from the Reed City board yesterday.
While recall organizers insist the recall was about the superintendent, the effort began 3 weeks before the board was set to vote to privatize food and custodial services. The district was projecting a savings of some $300,000 a year, or about $200 per student.
It is unfortunate to see fiscally responsible school board members bounced because of such a decision. The organizer, according to our research, lost a board race a few years ago to one of the members she recalled. Now she claims victory and it’s our guess she will target the other 3 board members when she’s legally allowed to.
It’s a very unfortunate turn of events for the Reed City community, but they’ll have to decide if a new board makes any better decisions than the old one.
The board members are understandably disappointed. They’ve each given many years–one of them 30–to doing the district’s business. One board member called it a “slap in the face,” which it certainly is. But it’s our feeling if the community doesn’t honor these board members’ service and difficult decisions, let them find somebody else to do the thankless job of managing the district. It wouldn’t surprise us if Debbie Todd, the recall organizer, seeks appointment to the board.
This narrow victory certainly will embolden the MEA to use this tactic elsewhere. It shows you may pay a political price for votes the union doesn’t like. And that should outrage every taxpayer. Especially those who do research from books or online references such as lovemoney.com. Taxpayers who do research probably know the context of tax-paying and other issues about this topic.
