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Board member raises long‑running concerns about declining achievement, administrative growth and DEI; directors respond
Summary
Director Linda Moore used the board’s information item to warn about years of falling achievement scores, express concern about increasing administrator headcount and challenge diversity/equity/inclusion practices. Other directors and the superintendent defended recent successes and stressed both academics and social supports.
During the meeting’s information‑item period, Director Linda Moore delivered an extended statement raising concerns about the district’s reading, math and science achievement trends. Moore said she has served on the board for about two and a half years and accused the board and administration jointly of responsibility for “scores have been tanking” over multiple years. She said teachers’ morale may be low and recommended several actions: random, unannounced classroom walk‑throughs by board members, a temporary moratorium on adding administrative positions and reallocating some administrative resources to classroom teachers.
Moore also criticized the district’s long use of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. She argued that classroom instruction should focus on “English, reading, math, science” and questioned whether DEI programs have measurably increased achievement.
Superintendent Benty and other directors responded during the items‑of‑information segment. The superintendent highlighted recent commencement and transition events, noted career pathway successes (for example, a CNA certification opportunity in partnership with South Central College) and described summer meal programs, agricultural‑day activities and other student events. Director Cassie Steeves and others described positive local examples: one board member reported a second‑grader reading “better than 97 percent of children across the nation” based on a report card they received; multiple directors praised graduation ceremonies and community engagement.
The topic recurred later during vision/mission discussions where directors questioned whether the board’s mission statement should reference the broader community, and whether including words like “strives” or “equity” accurately reflected district priorities. Board members requested further drafting work and agreed to return the mission statement for second reading after edits.
The discussion did not produce formal actions on DEI or immediate changes to administrative staffing; Moore attempted multiple policy amendments later in the meeting related to student‑records privacy and health‑data disclosure but those were handled as part of the Policy 5.15 item and were not adopted.
