Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinions of The Reporter, its publisher or its staff. You can submit your own Letter to the Editor by email to News@ReadTheReporter.com. Please include your phone number and city of residence. The Reporter will publish one letter per person per week.
Dear Editor:
When I consider who I’d like to represent me in public office, I put high marks on professionalism. After having many interactions with the incumbent running for school board in Noblesville, I question his professionalism.
I have personally watched him lash out at a parent in a group discussion, silence high school students praising Noblesville at a board meeting, lose his composure at a candidate forum, and even refuse to add an agenda item to a board meeting four days after a major policy shift in the district announced on a Friday evening.
Now I read about his behavior behind closed doors and through text messaging toward another board member.
Our sitting school board president has lost my vote this November.
When I look at the other candidates, the latest candidate forum helped me get an idea of who would be best for our schools. The current city employee, who garnered the ‘s and the incumbent’s endorsement as soon as he announced his candidacy, seemed unaware of happenings in the schools. Having the moderator rebut one of his statements at the forum and then responded, “I don’t know what that is” in response to a question about the Panorama surveys leaves me questioning his readiness to take on the job.
It also does not present well when his mailers have the wrong date for early voting. It is not Oct. 11, but the 12th as stated at in.gov/idr/hoosiers-vote/vote-early. As a fellow veteran, I appreciate his service, but we need someone ready on day one.
The other two candidates at the GOP forum, Melba and Misti, were the only ones to immediately mention using any discernment when it came to spending and referendums. With inflation and recession being dinner table discussions now, there is a high value on fiscal responsibility. We currently pay an extra half-percent of our property value over the tax cap for two referenda.
According to the latest financial report, Noblesville schools has $180 million of debt after $5 million last year alone. This includes over $4 million in outstanding bonds, but not the $17 million in bonds just added a couple of months ago for more projects. I would rather see referenda for these projects instead of for teacher pay. Investing in better pay for our teachers should be prioritized in the regular budget, not left up to referenda at the ballot box. Both women have these priorities of better teacher pay and true fiscal responsibility.
We need leadership in Noblesville schools that not only understands what is taking place in the schools, but also puts kids first, allows teachers to teach with better pay, and places a high value on professionalism and transparency to the taxpayers and parents. Noblesville needs better than an incumbent who repeatedly lacks decorum and professionalism.
I believe Melba and Misti are the two board members who are committed to professionalism, won’t needlessly put us further into debt, and will not only put kids first, but make sure our teachers are prioritized instead of leaving their pay to a ballot measure.
Tim Cortrecht
Noblesville
I certainly agree that politics should not be in school board elections but let’s be serious, politics are in everything!! Even in youth sport programs as young as 4 years old and it continues through high school! most coaches are swayed by parents that use whatever means possible, including politics to get their kids more playing time! As far as the Noblesville mayor supporting school board candidates I would assume nothing less! With this mayor it is, “his way or the highway”(but certainly not the Pleasant street bypass)! This mayor took the courthouse out of the logo????? Anyway I have no skin in the game either way but I am a proud Noblesville alumnus and want to see what is best for the Noblesville schools! It’s whoever can influence policies to benefit our kids the most!
I am sorry, but ANYONE who associates themselves with Moms for Liberty and Micah Beckwith are not at all concerned with “professionalism”. That group and that person spend a lot of time online criticizing others, name-calling, accusing, and harassing anyone that does not agree with their views. This type of behavior will not work in an environment, a school board, that requires constant cooperation, mining and examining of actual, relevant data, creative problem solving, and compromise.