Boise’s Biennial Mockery of Democracy
Posted by Adam Graham in : Idaho Conservative, TheJulie Fanselow has a post titled, “Stealth elections for our schools … why?” She writes:
Do you know what happens in Boise a week from Tuesday, just as we all settle into fall’s unofficial start the day after Labor Day? That’s right: We elect three members of the Boise School Board of Trustees. The candidates are Jeff Almeida, Nancy Gregory, Derick O’Neill, and Janet Orndorff . You sure wouldn’t know this election is at hand, would you? No signs, no mailings nor lit drops that I’ve seen, and the only campaign info I could find online is linked above.
The school district does have a little information posted on its website, including polling locations for the September 2 election (most elementary schools, Hillside and Riverglen junior highs, Capital and Timberline high schools), plus a PDF absentee ballot request form. Early voting has begun and is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at the Boise School District Services Center, 8169 W. Victory Road.
Now, first of all, kudos to Julie to bringing this election to light. My thought’s on Julie’s question in her post is that it really benefits those in the know, and I would suggest Teacher’s Unions as one group that benefits under the current system. For my part, I talked to a few people about the school district elections and I couldn’t get anyone interested. To be honest, I don’t have the time for a full-fledged campaign, particularly if I’m the only candidate.
The school board elections always occur smackdab after Labor Day in even numbered years. If there’s a worst time for an election, I don’t know what it is. If people’s minds are in politics, they’re on the Presidential race or the Gubenatorial elections, not on the schoolboard. Truth be told, if you’re a parent, the person who will most affect your kids in the short term is not Obama or McCain, it’s the people who get the school board election.
To be fair and democratic, it seems reasonable that we hold elections when people know they’re going to happen. The problem is that anytime someone proposes consolidating elections gets stopped colder than a mackeral, and generally by groups that really benefit from low turnout elections that nobody knows about. Hold elections every May and every November and fit your elections into that timeframe.
As it is, we have a school district that controls $20 + $200+ million in taxpayer funds that in all practical terms is unaccountable to the vast majority of its citizens who have no clue when the body that is collecting their taxes is even elected.
Comment by Jeff Almeida
[this is a copy of my reply to your comment on Julie's post on RSR]
Adam,
You’re certainly right in your philosophy on this — the election most assuredly needs to be better publicized, better scheduled, and better attended — but you’re off by an order of magnitude on your budget number; ISDBC’s budget for this school year is $201 million, certainly a number that should generate additional interest!
That said, I’d appreciate your vote and those of your readers; several of the parents whose efforts ultimately led to my candidacy are from your side of the aisle. Fundamentally, this election to me is about supporting things that you generally seem to be in-line with: breadth of offerings, protection of personal freedom, and prioritizing children and their families.