Here’s a letter from citizen activist John Todd, encouraging residents of USD 259, the Wichita school district, to consider running for and serving on its board. As of this morning, one incumbent and one other person have filed.
With the passage of the $370 million dollar bond and with USD 259’s budget in excess of $600 million dollars, I believe there is a need to elect school board members that will create an academic climate that will provide the educational environment necessary for our young people to prepare themselves for the modern world. At the same time we need to elect people that will provide the accountability and stewardship needed to protect taxpayer dollars.
Four seats on the USD 259 school board are up for election. The filing deadline is January 27, 2009 at 12:00 noon. The primary election for school board candidates is March 3, 2009 with the general election on April 7, 2009. The filing fee for a candidate is $5.00 plus a $35.00 report fee.
Sometimes I think we fail to realize the size of our local school district USD 259 when compared to other local governmental units. The city of Wichita’s budget is $495 million and Sedgwick County’s budget is $400 million. With a $600 million budget, it is imperative that we elect people that not only posses the necessary skills to effectively educate our children, but at the same time possess the skills needed to effectively manage the huge amount of taxpayer resources under their trust.
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