Letter to the Editor: Thank You School Board Members

I am starting to feel like there may be light at the end of the tunnel for our mess with the Manatee County educational system. The so-called accounting expert of a superintendent was allowed to resign (he should have been fired with all he messed up). The superintendent's support system will soon be retired. We have three School Board members now who question what is being presented. I have seen in the past where items were voted to pass 3 to 2 in the opposite direction of what was needed. Items were passed that were incomplete, that didn't have adequate time to evaluate and etc.

I watched at a School Board meeting where the old superintendent replied, "we did not pay a fine" for our inadequate budget reporting. The truth was that the amount of money our county received from the state WAS reduced by the amount of the fine. Isn’t this paying the fine? This is a play on words that cannot be tolerated. This is what we had with the old board that passed it 3 to 2. I was glad to hear that the budget committee dissolved by the old superintendent is also being reinstated.

We are in such a mess that everything must be examined with a fine-toothed comb. I would like to thank the new board for trying to do what is right. Our students deserve an education. Our school system does not deserve to be just an employer for the good old boys. Thank you Karen, Julie and Dave. I hope you receive the support you need and deserve. I fully support you in your efforts to fix our school system.
 
Dennis Puckett
East Manatee