Saying they “wimped out” in an effort to keep a minority (in this case, everyone in the shawneemissionpost.com reading area) happy, Kansas City Star columnist Mike Hendricks wrote yesterday that the Shawnee Mission school board had failed to take advantage of an opportunity to address some of its major budget issues.
Hendricks said the board’s ability to make tough budget cuts in the past led him to believe they would be able to deal head on with the superintendent’s proposals:
Funny, but I didn’t figure this school board being the pushovers they turned out to be. Maybe because the elected leaders of the district have approved $20 million in cuts the last couple of years.
Tough stuff. It meant the loss of nearly 100 teachers, crowded classrooms and a support staff slashed to the bone.
The difference? Those reductions were felt across the district. The ones up for a vote this week were more specific. And, boy, did the parents at some of the affected schools howl.
So when confronted with all that heat, the school board melted like a cheap candle.
Read the whole column from the Kansas City Star here.
Thanks for reading! If you value having an independent news outlet keeping tabs on local government, schools and taxes, we're asking you to contribute to our Education Reporting Fund.
