March 26, 2022 – West Bend, WI – When I first began attending school board meetings in August, I was more than willing to give the West Bend School District (WBSD) Board the benefit of the doubt.
Many parents and concerned citizens from my community were speaking out against some highly controversial moves made by this district before the school year had even begun. Meeting after meeting, I heard the eloquent and impassioned voices of parents, grandparents, and citizens up in arms over these moves.
Curriculum laced with links to sites showing middle-school children how to have “safe and enjoyable sex”, and how to hide their browser history from their parents. That is just one example of the numerous issues that were being brought up.
These same parents and grandparents also submitted FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests that produced even more troubling finds, uncovering white privilege classes and seminars for the staff.
These revelations were presented in public comments and submitted to the board for consideration.
I am a simple, hardworking, blue-collar Dad and homeowner in this district, writing this now to give my perspective on the current school board.
My biggest takeaway from eight months solid of attending all these meetings?
The current board never lifted an eyebrow over these concerns. Never.
I saw dead-eyed expressions that didn’t flinch as parents demanded accountability and transparency. I watched as parent after parent, students, citizens, and representatives in our community pled with the board to take an interest in their concerns and provide answers to their questions.
None were ever given. Rarely did the board members even reply to emails of any parents. After incredible pressure from this community of parents and citizens, they were able to push the board into blocking the worst of the highly inappropriate links and anti-family rhetoric.
By far, the most frustratingly difficult hurdle they have had to overcome is the board members’ complete lack of human concern for the pleas being brought to their table.
They never looked shocked.
They always looked bored. The apathy was staggering. The smugness transparent. They all but glare at these parents with open contempt.
If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the meeting footage yourself since late August, and you will see exactly what I have seen. A board that is disinterested and checked out.
Watching a mother cry out for justice for her son, who was bullied and almost stabbed; there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
Except, the school board members.
They allowed the mother to finish and, without further ado, launched right back into their agenda without so much as a pause or compassionate look in her direction.
As a father, it was appalling watching the President of the board dismiss this mother entirely, his disingenuous, game-show host voice not missing a beat after the heartbroken mother finished speaking.
It was surreal to watch. Such a blatant lack of empathy and compassion for the people this board was elected to represent.
Where is the feedback for these concerns? What are they doing with eight months of public outcry, besides sweeping it under the rug?
Why does the current school board care so little for the families in WBSD, so little in fact that they can’t even drum up feigned concern on their faces?
It’s time for board members who actually listen to the parents’ and citizens’ voices. It’s time for the fakers to step aside. It’s time the citizens of this county and their children were given the respect they deserve.
It’s time for a changing of the guard.
Vote with me for Melanie Ehrgott and John Donaldson for School Board. John is a father, leader, and war veteran who will be a parent advocate along with Melanie, a mother of five with exactly the kind of values and integrity this district is so lacking in.
These two have been in these meetings and spoken up many times since August. Melanie and John are the real deal. Their character is genuine, and they are solid in their stance to provide a safer and healthier environment for the children in this district.
If we as parents allow this past eight months to continue, we are just as responsible for the results as the apathetic current school board. Vote for families first and oust these pretenders. All they have done is prove how little they have actually done or care about the children in WBSD.
Chris Busalacchi
Jackson, WI
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