Dear Editor:
I was terribly disappointed to read your editorial in last week’s paper. I have no problem with the paper reporting facts—good or bad. That is your job.
But to report (by your own admission ) rumors? What possible good can come of this?
I cannot nor do I wish to speak for the entire board, but I have been a member of the school board for a year now and can tell you that the board has constantly attempted to accentuate the positives wherever we can in order to gain the community’s trust.
We have tried to remain as transparent as possible with revealing things we cannot. So for you to print a number of things that you have heard on the street, which by the way, were nearly all incorrect, is not furthering our cause.
In fact, all it does is stir folks up and cause more lack of trust.
I have been approached by a number of people since the paper came out last Thursday.
When I was able to dispel those “rumors,” they were completely satisfied. Board members are not always at liberty to answer all public questions due to certain legal constraints.
But if anyone wants to know what I can tell you, I am more than happy to answer your questions. You certainly aren’t going to get those answers from our paper.
Tom Allen
Meeker School Board member
Meeker
EDITOR’S NOTE: Regarding my column, I stand by it. From the “rumor” standpoint, there is no question these “rumors” were widespread and I believe it is a shame you said you didn’t know about them. On the other hand, I can believe they didn’t get back to you because of your positions on the board—and the reluctance of the public to speak out in public. To clarify the idea behind my column and to put it all in one nutshell, the point is, when an organization has so many rumors flying around town, whether they become true or not, there is something wrong somewhere within that organization. You say the board “has constantly attempted to accentuate the positives wherever we can in order to gain the community’s trust.” I agree with that concept, and I believe the students and schools have done their best to provide the best examples of that because there is a lot to accentuate that is positive.” I just hope everyone can get on the same page, including teachers, administrators and board members.
