Kay Waddingham - Letter to Editor

After what I witnessed at the Peshtigo School Board meeting last week, I am writing this letter to the editor:

When the meeting started the President of the School Board stated he will allow 15 minutes of comments from the floor. Now mind you there had to be at least 150 people in attendance. Individuals stood and addressed the board. The President of the School Board was very unprofessional on how he reacted to one of the speakers comments raising his voice and not letting him finish. I am sure his reaction intimidated other people wishing to speak but changed their mind.

School Board members are voted in by the public they represent. In all reality we are their bosses. At no time during the meeting did anyone reference the $29.00 misleading information given to the public.

Next Administrator Patrick Rau gave a presentation on the school’s financing. Weeks leading up to the election the only words spoken was for every $100,000 home, it was $65, but the district received additional funding which brings the cost down to $29 per $100,000 in tax for the school. I was disappointed as this point was the center of attention prior to the election and he did not address it once at the meeting. I read in the paper at the City Council meeting Mr. Rau stated if your home is $200,000, you won’t even pay $60 in taxes. He did not state any other financial information. Misleading, most people have a different name for what he did. As School Board members it is your job to make sure factual information was given to the district, I would like to know when School Board members heard or saw $29 per $100,000 home what did you think? Were you misled also? Did you take the time to look into this misinformation? Did you ever make an effort to correct this? It is not too late to make this wrong, right.

If School Board members knew those statements were misleading/false and not true, it was your responsibility to correct them. Most importantly it is your job to hold Mr. Rau accountable for putting misinformation out to the public!

A concerned and disappointed Citizen.

Kay Waddingham,
Peshtigo