From the 10/30/2024 Courier:

People of Woodland Park School District: It is time for truth. It is time for actual, factual honesty. The current school board has caused over 40% of teachers and staff to leave the district in the last three years. It has just recently removed many or most benefits from the teachers currently employed, so likely more will leave unless that is rescinded. It has caused parents to transfer over 100 students to other schools. It has caused the NCAA to state twice that athletes from WP cannot receive scholarships because of the social studies “standard” (American Birthright) it adopted that the CO State Board of Education declared not worthy of adoption by any public school district. It has refused millions in grants for mental health services, and some have questioned whether they have violated federal mandates in regards to service for students with special needs. Yet to date, the SB has never provided full and transparent accounting for how and where it has spent the money from the tax revenue it was given.

The way to get that accountability is to take that tax money away at this time. Because you surely care about where your tax money is spent for the school district, it means VOTING YES on the ballot measure is essential so this SB has no access to that money until a fully transparent accounting occurs. The tax can be reinstated when that happens.

Some are saying, (disingenuously?), this action will hurt the students—but they and their parents have already been hurt as those who left demonstrates, and none of those speaking of hurt now said a word of concern as it happened. Those same folks say it will “hurt the teachers and staff” when they have already been devastatingly hurt as all who left demonstrates, and those remaining are still being hurt. When a school board’s leaders intentionally damages a school district it has not earned the trust of the voters in the district. Nor have they earned respect to be trusted to truthfully and transparently report the use of public tax money. Have they been hiding something, and if so, why? The City Council decision is likely the very last opportunity to know with any degree of certainty how that tax money was or will be spent. That is why this ballot measure exists.

So, again I say, for the greater good of all in the school district, VOTE YES on the ballot measure to remove the tax money from this school board. The people of the school district deserve truth and honesty, because truth with actual, factual honesty of how public tax money is spent is not a matter of perspective.

The above is the truthful opinion of this United Methodist Pastor, Retired.

Rodney Noel Saunders