2-8-05 On February 3, 2005, the school board held what was described as a “study session”, but in fact, it morphed into a Town Hall Meeting. It was properly agendized under the Brown Act as a regular meeting, but one where the board intended to take no action. Most of the first hour was wasted by the Superintendent’s presentation of what a fine job she was doing and how great the schools were. After more than just murmurs from the audience, she finally sat down and Fred Heslep (board president) served as moderator to hear the community’s complaints.
The majority of the complaints were that the community just didn’t trust the school. It seemed to the community that the school board made all their decisions in secret and refused to listen to anyone who came to a board meeting.
The strongest complaints concerned both the decision and method in shutting down Acton School and ignoring the 7-11 committee report because Wagner did not agree with it, boundary changes, overcrowding at Meadowlark, loss of class size reduction (CSR) in grades K and three, poor academic results for Vasquez, and of course closing the gym and dumping Pinky at Vasquez High School.
This went on for over three hours, and although people stressed what they were unhappy about, it was without rancor. The public comments to the board clearly indicated that they were “getting it”. But, Wagner was still on her inaccurate and crazed mantra that closing the Acton School was correct, and that she saved our district.
Even people once convinced by Wagner that closing the Acton School was right have now seen the truth as opposed to Wagner’s self-serving misstatements such as Wagners position of buy when you can rent. Not a single person in the audience expressed any support for closing the Acton School.
Here are my comments at the meeting which amounts to a campaign statement.
The culinary arts class served excellent chocolate-mint brownies, walnut appetizers, and a very excellent bean and corn dip on tortillas.
Most people left with very contented tummies and a good feeling in the way the board received all their criticism.