"BICKERING" WITHIN?

The following is from Keung Hui’s blog (News and Observer) and, in my opinion, is a prime example of why School Board members should be elected countywide, and not by district. I wish it would be published in the newspaper itself.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Year-round balance
The mood got testy Tuesday when school board member Ron Margiotta presented a document showing by board member district where the existing and proposed year-round elementary schools are located.
Although administrators spread the list of 23 proposed elementary school conversions around the county, the chart shows some board districts have more than others:* District 1 (Northeast Wake): six schools* District 2 (Southeast Wake): four schools* District 3 (North Raleigh): three schools* District 4 (East Raleigh): no schools* District 5 (South Central Wake): two schools* District 6: (Central Raleigh): no schools* District 7 (West Raleigh/Morrisville): three schools* District 8 (Southern Wake): five schools* District 9 (Western Wake): no schools
The board members with no schools — Beverley Clark, Rosa Gill and Eleanor Goettee — were objecting the most to discussing the chart. Goettee said they don’t make decisions by district.
Other board members questioned whether the schools were truly being equitably distributed.
Board Chairwoman Patti Head ended the bickering by saying they needed time to digest the information first.
Posted at 06:00 am by Keung Hui