For local control
Editor, The Commercial:
As chair of the Pine Bluff School District Stakeholders for Consolidation of PBSD and Dollarway School District, a member of the Our PBSD Committee in opposition of the millage during state authority, a member of the Unified Stakeholders and co-chairperson of its committee who initiated the process of petitioning the PBSD community for stakeholders for the appointed authority limited board members to replace the appointed strategic planning committee, I am a firm supporter of the return to local control of the district as a proud 1975 graduate of the PBSD and a 41-year educator in Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel and Pulaski County Special school districts.
I have been an active follower of the annexation of the DSD into PBSD and rallied for consolidation to release the DSD from state authority after their 5 years under state authority. Because the former superintendent was not successful in 5 years to help DSD meet exit criteria, the annexation kept DSD under state authority for 8 years which was a violation of ADE authority.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
For the sake of consistency and continuity, the proposal that was drafted by the state appointed PBSD Limited Board, the AR State Board Association, and state selected PBSD Stakeholders took away the right of all Pine Bluff School District Stakeholders to elect the school board member of their choice for their zone for the next 5 years. This may be an abuse of authority, conflict of interest, and lends itself to discrimination.
Pine Bluff School District Stakeholders, we are not under local control with a state-appointed limited authority board and a state-appointed superintendent for the next 5 years. That is against the law.
Five years is the maximum for state authority. PBSD stakeholders, stand up and demand your right to vote for our elected board in the best interest of our return to local control and our students.
Charline Wright,
Pine Bluff