Several residents used the board’s public‑comment period to criticize the school board’s handling of the district’s separation from Superintendent Steve Wilder and to call for more transparency.

Dan Lichtark, who identified himself as a 15‑year resident, told the board he and others were “brought here tonight to have our voices heard” and said the board had called a special meeting on the first Friday in August and “unanimously decided they we no longer need to have Mister Wilder actively involved with our school district and will gladly compensate him to stay away until March.” He said the board provided “canned responses” when questioned and that the timing—when many families were on summer vacation—felt secretive. “You should all be embarrassed by your recent actions,” Lichtark told the board.

Another resident, who identified as Eric Jones, also praised Wilder’s service and objected to what he described as a “quiet exit” without customary recognition. “Steve Wilder deserved better,” Jones said, listing Wilder’s service beginning in July 2020 through the pandemic and noting what Jones described as work done to stabilize district operations and staff continuity.

Why it matters: Those speakers framed the board’s August special meeting and any associated payment arrangement as a governance and transparency concern. Public commenters urged more opportunities for board deliberation in public and for the board to explain its actions; the board did not take further public action on the item during the meeting beyond listening to comments.

What the board said: At the meeting’s start, board members and the meeting host read governance rules and the Open Meetings Act guidance about board authority and public comment protocols. The board did not answer questions during the public‑comment period, consistent with the district’s stated practice of referring questions to administrative channels after the meeting.

Taper: Speakers said their intent was to press for clearer public explanation; several asked the board to make future discussions public and to ensure that personnel matters are handled with more opportunity for community review.