Serving on a school board is becoming risky business. It is imperative
that school board members be allowed to communicate with their
constituents, request information from the administration and voice
opinions contrary to the school board majority. Voters become disenfranchised and the democratic process undermined when law firms rather than voters control our school districts by censuring board members who refuse to toe-the-line.
Investigating and strong arming school board members is occurring in South Washington County, Farmington and Duluth. Duluth board member, Art Johnston has filed suit against the Duluth School District and fellow board members. Johnston alleges that his freedom of speech and freedom to associate were violated when five members, excluding Harry Welty, voted to remove him in December. Take a look at this article from the Duluth News Tribune:
Johnston files lawsuit against Duluth school district, board members
By Jana Hollingsworth 3/5/2015 at 12:53 p.m.
Duluth School Board member Art Johnston filed a lawsuit Wednesday
against the Duluth school district and five other board members in
U.S. District Court.
Johnston alleges that his First and 14th Amendment rights were
violated in the board's December decision to remove him. The lawsuit
says that the district's code of ethics is unconstitutional; that his
right to free speech has been "chilled" and that his right to
associate "freely in his domestic concerns" has been violated.
The board based its decision to remove Johnston on the results of an
independent investigation it approved in June. The results showed that
Johnston demonstrated a personal conflict of interest in his advocacy
of his partner -- who is employed by the district -- during a work
dispute. It also revealed that Johnston engaged in behavior deemed to
be abusive, threatening and intimidating toward Superintendent Bill
Gronseth and former board chairman Mike Miernicki during incidents
following a high school graduation ceremony in June.
Johnston is asking the court to declare that the district's code of
ethics is unconstitutional, to stop the board's resolution to remove
him and cancel the impending hearing; and that his costs and damages
be paid by the district.
A hearing, according to the lawsuit, has been scheduled for May. The
hearing is to be before a retired Hennepin County judge, and must take
place before a board can remove a member. State statute allows the
removal of a member for proper cause with the consent of at least four
members.
The board members named in the lawsuit are Miernicki, Judy Seliga-
Punyko, Annie Harala, Bill Westholm and Rosie Loeffler-Kemp. Harry
Welty was not named.
South Washington County Schools will soon be asking voters
to fork over $180 million, yet wastes money to have a law firm “investigate” and
strong arm board member Katy McElwee-Stevens. Could this be considered a violation of her First and 14th Amendment rights?
Will the censure of school board member Katy McElwee-Stevens result in a similar lawsuit? Perhaps she should consider contacting Mr. Johnston in Duluth for advice.
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Storm clouds and bad bills are brewing at the State Capitol
Why does Senator Karin Housley want to use the power of the legislature to give taxing authority to school boards across Minnesota? According to the bill summary, SF76 would give school boards the authority to levy the amount necessary to implement their approved ten-year facility plan beginning in fiscal year 2020 without voter approval. Do we really want to give these people the authority to raise taxes without a levy?
District 833 School Board Members
Leading South Washington County Schools
into a
$8.5 million deficit
I would trust these characters more than the school board characters!
Powerful special interest groups are the political machines driving education legislation in Minnesota. The Association of Metropolitan School Districts is an organization composed of 39 K-12 school districts, 4 intermediate/educational cooperative districts and 3 integration districts. School board members and superintendents are indoctrinated.....er....educated, to advocate for metropolitan school districts and advance legislation as, "one voice." AMSD’s primary task is to lobby at the state level for the needs of metropolitan school districts. You and I don't have a paid lobbyist and are powerless when legislators like Housley do the bidding of powerful special interest groups.
FUNDING
• Increase the basic formula allowance by at least four percent per
year for the next biennium and index the formula to inflation in the
future;
• Establish an index for local optional revenue to account for regional labor cost differentials;
• Allow locally-elected school boards to renew an existing operating referendum at the same level;
- See more at: http://www.amsd.org/2015-legislative-platform#sthash.rhd7myoR.dpuf
FUNDING
• Increase the basic formula allowance by at least four percent per
year for the next biennium and index the formula to inflation in the
future;
• Establish an index for local optional revenue to account for regional labor cost differentials;
• Allow locally-elected school boards to renew an existing operating referendum at the same level;
- See more at: http://www.amsd.org/2015-legislative-platform#sthash.rhd7myoR.dpuf
FUNDING
• Increase the basic formula allowance by at least four percent per
year for the next biennium and index the formula to inflation in the
future;
• Establish an index for local optional revenue to account for regional labor cost differentials;
• Allow locally-elected school boards to renew an existing operating referendum at the same level;
- See more at: http://www.amsd.org/2015-legislative-platform#sthash.rhd7myoR.dpuf
FUNDING:
Increase the basic formula allowance by at least 4% per year for the next biennium and index the formula for inflation in the future.
Establish an index for local optional revenue to account for regional labor cost differentials.
Allow locally elected school boards to renew an existing operating referendum at the same level.
FACILITIES
A “thorough and efficient” education funding system must also ensure that
locally-elected school boards have the authority to preserve public assets and
ensure safe and secure learning environments for students and staff. Toward
that end, the Governor and Legislature should:
• Phase-in eligibility for the Alternative Facilities Program to all school
districts by combining the existing Health and Safety and Deferred Maintenance
Programs into the Alternative Facilities Program to ensure that school
districts are able to preserve public assets and maintain safe learning
environments for students, staff and citizens;
• Expand the allowable uses of the building lease levy to include remodeling of
existing space, building additions for instructional space, and building modifications
to enhance safety and security;
• Maintain additional allowances for members of intermediate, educational
cooperative and joint powers districts to ensure the facilities needs of those
districts are addressed;
• Increase the operating capital revenue allowance, index it to inflation and
expand the allowable uses of operating capital revenue.
According to The Minnesota Watchdog , SF76 would "essentially strip voters of a right they have enjoyed for many years."
Chief authors of SF76 are Senators Dahle, Housley, Kent, Stumpf, and Wiger. These compliant legislators listen to agenda-driven special interest groups, like AMSD and their paid lobbyists, but ignore the voters. The RINO providing bipartisan support for SF76 is Senator Karin Housley.
SD39 RINO
and
March
PUCK
of the
Month
Nominee
Please call Senator Housley and congratulate her on her nomination for MN Hockey Mama's, March, 2015, PUCK of the Month. Way to go, Senator Housley!
When Republicans can't take the heat and stay true to their
conservative values, a RINO is born. This classic scene depicts the
birth of John Boehner, Karin Housley, Tom Emmer and many more. Enjoy!
FUNDING
• Increase the basic formula allowance by at least four percent per
year for the next biennium and index the formula to inflation in the
future;
• Establish an index for local optional revenue to account for regional labor cost differentials;
• Allow locally-elected school boards to renew an existing operating referendum at the same level;
• Fully fund the state special education funding formula to reduce the special education cross-subsidy
- See more at: http://www.amsd.org/2015-legislative-platform#sthash.rhd7myoR.dpuf
FUNDING
• Increase the basic formula allowance by at least four percent per
year for the next biennium and index the formula to inflation in the
future;
• Establish an index for local optional revenue to account for regional labor cost differentials;
• Allow locally-elected school boards to renew an existing operating referendum at the same level;
- See more at: http://www.amsd.org/2015-legislative-platform#sthash.rhd7myoR.dpuf
FUNDING
• Increase the basic formula allowance by at least four percent per
year for the next biennium and index the formula to inflation in the
future;
• Establish an index for local optional revenue to account for regional labor cost differentials;
• Allow locally-elected school boards to renew an existing operating referendum at the same level;
- See more at: http://www.amsd.org/2015-legislative-platform#sthash.rhd7myoR.dpuf
A
“thorough and efficient” education funding system must also ensure that
locally-elected school boards have the authority to preserve public
assets and ensure safe and secure learning environments for students and
staff. Toward that end, the Governor and Legislature should: - See more
at: http://www.amsd.org/2015-legislative-platform#sthash.rhd7myoR.dpuf
