Sept. 4, 2024, R-C Letters to the Editor

Campaign email spreading lies

Editor:

A recent email from a local group calling itself “Citizens For Douglas County Education” bearing an apple with an A+ emblazoned on it is spreading lies and supporting two school board candidates that will continue the current degradation of our locals schools. These are the same incompetent leaders who hired attorney Joey Gilbert, former boxer, turned personal injury lawyer to be the Douglas County School District legal representative. Simply put, Gilbert has caused the past years’ legal fees budget increase from $143,000 to $450,000, a 214 percent leap from the previous years’ legal expense allowance. 

To further worsen our School District’s financial well-being, these same inept and politically motivated folks (to be clear Burns, Jansen, Englekirk, and Dickerson), recently hired a new Superintendent without a standard probationary period of one year, or even a sort of financial safety net for DCSD by offering him a contract that gives the new superintendent the balance of his four year salary should he be removed without cause!  This is not the standard sort of protective contract normally used in these kinds of situations and it makes me wonder again what kind of legal advice, if any, was given by Joey Gilbert. Their actions have severe fiscal implications for our schools, potentially affecting teacher salaries and our ability to attract highly qualified teachers, increasing class sizes, providing smaller budgets for class materials, teacher training opportunities, classroom and playground aids, student transportation, school lunches and more.  

In addition, all of these effects make our community less attractive to potential businesses and families that might consider locating here. This is not an exhaustive list by any means. These Board members continue to play fast and loose with their positions, and our kids and our community will ultimately pay for their lack of good judgement. 

Our best hope towards restoring a fiscally responsible Board is to vote this November for the two candidates I believe will work for the children, staff, and taxpayers of Douglas County. 

I urge you to vote for the following candidates if you share my concern about this situation. Erinn Miller, who has her own bookkeeping business and is an involved mom with 3 students in the lake schools who says, “I want to see our Lake schools go from a survive to a thrive situation…” and Melinda Gneiting, parent of 4 kids, 2 already graduated from DHS and 2 still attending DCSD  schools and in her words… “wants to offer a current parent’s perspective on the education in our district.”

We are not stuck with this current Board majority and their poor approach, please get out and vote and help to keep Douglas County moving forward with great public schools. 

Garth Pintler

Minden

Joey Gilbert costing taxpayers

Editor:

For the year of August 2023-2024 Joey Gilbert Law has charged the DCSD and by extension me, as a taxpaying citizen of Douglas County, $429,037.19. I am flabbergasted that this kind of abuse of our financial assets are being so misused and abused by a majority of the board (Burns, Dickerson, Jansen and Englekirk) who are more interested in their political agenda than they are our children, teachers, administrators and staff. How can this abuse be condoned by the district? 

I am a taxpayer and a constituent of this district. I am appalled that Joey Gilbert Law has made so may blatant errors in their billing, to the tune of $33,329.17-plus, for incorrect billing of the retainer, travel and charges by his staff members. In what other organization would this type of flagrant overcharging be permitted and paid? What kind of blatant fraud would be tolerated in a business? Why is this legal firm still allowed to be the counsel for Douglas County School District? 

I am so angry that this abuse and waste is taking the educational dollars right out of the DCSD funds that are collected by us, the taxpayers, to pay for our students to be educated! It is my contention that the majority of “four” is working in unison to cripple our district. why, why, why? 

As one of the taxpaying citizens of this county I demand answers, and I demand that the DCSB take action to terminate the contract with Joey Gilbert Law and hire a firm that has educational law expertise and integrity.

Melinda Matus

Minden

Legal fees just tip of iceberg

Editor:

If you follow school board meetings, you are already aware of the damage being done to our district, its personnel and especially the students. You are also aware of the literal costs that the board majority have brought about. More than two times our regular legal fees for an attorney who has to subcontract out a lot of his work, many leaders who have left their positions including our superb superintendent. Nearly hiring a failed candidate with a DUI and a federal investigation on his record. Bullying staff. Favoring their friends while holding other folks to a sterner code.

There is a small contingent of malcontented individuals who are misleading the public. They contend that all the increase in spending for legal fees is driven by the various complaints by the public about open meeting law violations, public records requests and various and sundry other nefarious activities driven by the “red shirts.” You know, those folks with children and grandchildren in our district, who understand that a thriving community must have a thriving school system to prosper all of us.

The funny thing is the leaders of the bunch know better. They are choosing the fear tactics that they use and the distortions and outright lies they tell to scare voters to enhance their own power. Two of them are working on the election campaigns of one incumbent and a newly arrived Californian to keep their power to scare and control.

Don’t be fooled by this. Do the research yourself. It is available. Better yet, tune in to board meetings. You can see the chaos for yourselves.

And then join me in voting for Melinda Gneiting (District 3) and Erinn Miller (District 5). Both are committed and intelligent women, both with actual knowledge of the district through volunteering in the schools their children attend and have attended. Both are independent thinkers. Both are doing the work to keep track of this board.

Both are lifelong conservative Republicans. Both are sensible and detail oriented. Both believe in and practice transparency and public engagement.

Vote for Melinda Gneiting and Erinn Miller. You will be happy you did.

Cheryl Blomstrom

Jacks Valley