Does listening hurt?

Elected school board shouldn’t reject feedback

Sometimes, elected officials can help by just letting the people they represent speak out. The Bentonville School Board didn’t have any choice but to sit in session during a called meeting back in September. The oddity about the meeting was who called it. Who knew a school board meeting could be forced by residents if they collect signatures from at least 50 qualified electors of the district? That’s the way state law spells it out.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if a state lawmaker proposes a change in that state law at the next opportunity. We can’t have “the people” in charge, now can we?

But in this case, residents of the Lochmoor Club neighbhorhood were upset about the school district’s decision, about a week before the school year started, to end a bus route serving 132 Lochmoor Club students. The students attend either Willowbrook Elementary, Bright Field Middle School of Fulbright Junior High School. About half that number were actively riding the bus before the district shut the bus route down.

Superintendent Debbie Jones earlier said the administration’s decision was about equity: the school district typically does not provide transportation for students who live within a mile of their school. The summertime decision allows for allocating buses more efficiently, the district said. Parents said regardless of distance, kids walking to their schools would be endangered by traffic.

Parents forced a school board meeting, then the board voted 3-3, with one member not voting on the matter. That meant the administration’s decision remained.

We don’t quibble with the busing decision. As the board vote indicated, it can be seen both ways. But last week, Jones brought forward a policy that spells out non-transport zones are established with a 1-mile radius of each school. As she explained, the change “gives the board the opportunity to fulfill its role of policy governance.”

In other words (ours), the policy insulates the board from having to get caught in the crosshairs of a neighborhood uppity enough to think its representatives should listen to their concerns. The board adopted the policy 5-2, with Matt Burgess and Joe Quinn in the minority.

Is a single policy vote the equivalent of “Shoo fly, don’t bother me?”

Is this the way the board intended the measure to be perceived? Perhaps not. Regardless, parents who raised the busing issue certainly aren’t out of order to feel as though the administration has, in response, moved to protect the board from facing a roomful of upset residents/taxpayers.

The point is, the board is elected and Jones isn’t. Even if one ultimately believes the Lochmoor Club busing decision was the correct outcome, patrons of the district shouldn’t be made to feel unwelcome in appealing to board members when decisions affect them. Otherwise, why are board members elected?