LH should adopt change
Among Fayette County’s public school districts, only Laurel Highlands is willing to cling to a vestige of the anti-school merger past, that being election of school board directors from regions as opposed to district-wide. When nine school board members each have a vote for everything that happens within the school district, it makes sense that residents and taxpayers get the chance to vote for all nine, instead of just three. But the current school board, comprised of three directors elected from each of three regions, couldn’t muster the five votes needed to put on the May ballot a proposal letting voters decide if they wanted the switch. Actually, four board members voted in favor of the proposal, while three voted against it.
Quite puzzling are the abstentions from board President Cathy Rice and board member Palmer Sabatine, who should have had the guts to cast a vote one way or the other. Isn’t taking a stand on the issues why people ostensibly run for school board in the first place? Voters in their regions should get a chance to see where they stand on this or any other school-related issue. If they’re too timid to take a stand, perhaps they shouldn’t be on the board in the first place.
Every other public school district in the county has abolished regional board membership, either voluntarily or after a court challenge, which should tell you what’s likely to happen in Laurel Highlands eventually. Board candidate Lyn Andaloro is among several district residents who’ve asked the Fayette County Court to impose district-wide (also known as “at-large”) voting in Laurel Highlands.
The only reason to keep three regions in the two townships that comprise Laurel Highlands, or to have them in any other school district, is to provide a political power base for a smaller group of people. Just considering the enormous power that school boards have to raise real estate taxes on everyone is reason enough to let everyone decide who gets on the board.