District should have opened meetings - Republican Point of View

Davis Clipper, Dec. 19

Party lines - District should have opened meetings
By Todd Weiler, Davis Republican Party Chair

‘Freedom is when the people can speak; democracy is when the government listens.” (Alastair Farrugia) The school board is a thankless job. No one notices or even cares when you are doing a good job. One misstep, however, and everyone is on your case. If you don’t want people second guessing you and accusing you of improper motives, don’t bother running.

From my perspective, the whole redistricting process is a lose/lose scenario. No matter what decision is arrived upon, some people are going to be very unhappy. Some kids are going to be separated from friends, neighborhoods will be divided, and students will have longer commutes.

I think it was an unfortunate decision by the district to close its redistricting meetings. Parents and media representatives were turned away from important meetings. Although the district maintains that the closed meetings were legal, a district court judge has disagreed. And just because something is legal does not mean that it is right. If math students have to show their work to earn full credit, why shouldn’t the district as well? Any elected official who resents public input is out of touch and has been serving too long.

The parents who have banned together to take on the district have raised some legitimate concerns. Although their tactics may strike some as fanatical or offensive, these are people who love their children and are generating the kind of publicity that will likely result in some significant changes.

When I reviewed the map produced by the redistricting committee, I was surprised to see that students who live within a mile or two of existing schools would be required to change schools and face significantly longer drives as a result. UDOT’s accident statistics show that teenage drivers are involved in 46 percent of all accidents on Main Street between Shepard Lane in Farmington and 1000 North in Bountiful (near Viewmont High School). This is a lot higher than the state average of 27.5 percent. For whatever reason, teens driving in Davis County are at highest risk in the state.

There are obvious safety implications for increasing the driving times for teens, some of whom are precluded from riding the bus due to after-school activities. Concerned parents are justified in arguing that safety should be given a higher priority than any school’s 4A status. Some comments from school board members last summer led some to conclude that only boundaries in the northern half of Davis County would be changed.

I hope that as a result of the court’s recent decision, the school district and other governmental bodies will err on the side of openness. Too many officials seem to look for almost any excuse to go into a closed session when conducting the public’s business.

“The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy; the best weapon of a democracy is openness.” (Edvard Teller)