As I sit and watch the Mahomet-Seymour School Board I must say that I am very disappointed in the lack of action that takes place in a meeting, and how decisions that need to be made, are never made. In the search for answers related to COVID-19, there are still hesitations and a “forced agenda” because they didn’t like the response of a committee that they “asked for” and created. The decision-making process became a challenge because the committee provided answers that certain individuals on the board didn’t agree with, in the end. It was made very clear by a committee of “TEACHERS” that they didn’t want to go back, and they were concerned with not only their safety but the safety of our children. I am sorry, did they put the students’ interest at the forefront, maybe that was where they made a mistake as a committee. I mean, our own Superintendent of Schools stated, “she will not shut down the school for every case”. While I may understand that statement to an extent, but how many cases does it take for her to “shut it down”? The time is now to act on COVID-19, and the time is now, to provide answers to the community.
I can tell you that the community doesn’t want the repetitive agenda items, they want answers! They want to know how our schools are going to move forward through this pandemic. If outsiders throughout Illinois aren’t watching our board, I would encourage them to do so because they could learn exactly how “NOT” to address the issues within their district. Common sense seems to make an appearance at times, but then “overruled” because a certain number of members (4-3) disagree with the sensible discussions made by its members. At what point did the school board become more about a “balance of power” than a decision-making group for our children? Our children will pay the price for the inequities of the board, and their incompetency to make logical decisions. Do our kids understand what is happening in our school district, NO, but they will certainly pay the price because the “balance of power” appears to be more important than them. I am exhausted with the ongoing “agenda items” and the constant “shifts” in power and how our school board is continually deciding to ignore the ‘issues’ and push them to the next meeting. But what were we thinking? A resolution is not part of the fabric of this board, and resolution is not achievable by a committee, because the only resolution achievable is when certain members are in control of the decisions. Resolutions are not achieved because it’s better to continually place things on “THE AGENDA”. After all, that in a sense avoids the discussion of the important topics at hand. Are you kidding me????
On another note, there was a board member in the most recent meeting that proposed creating a committee, and without hesitation, stated she would “head” the committee to discuss how the district can better create a “more inclusive” environment for our students. She wanted to create and build opportunities related to race and LGBTQ, by providing a platform to “discuss” how we can be better as a district. So, what happened……. the school board voted 4-3 that it wasn’t a good decision at the time and that they “needed more information” related to the issues. How do you need more information when the topics are discussed in our news daily? How do you need more information when there are protests every week related to these issues? And, how do you need more information when our students are raising concerns with their parents that they don’t feel comfortable attending school at Mahomet-Seymour schools? The last question alone should have raised a red flag for all the board members. It’s troubling to think that the concerns of our students become mute when they provide you an opportunity to improve as a district and to make decisions that can create real change. Students are speaking out and yet it appears their concerns are not worthy enough for a committee. Please make it STOP and please allow the citizens of Mahomet-Seymour School District an opportunity to feel proud about the schools they are choosing for their students to attend.
-KJ
