School Board was responsive

While it has been my policy not to respond to editorials about the School Board, I have to take issue with the Star-Exponent editorial of April 16 (“SB seemed unresponsive with calendar”).

Let me clarify. If you had written, “School Board makes wrong decision on calendar,” or even “School Board members are buffoons,” I would not be writing this letter.

I think you have the right, even the duty, to state your case on the decisions we make.

However, you have unknowingly fallen into a trap.

You have assumed that, because a significant number of people asked for something, and didn’t get it, that the School Board was “unresponsive” and “didn’t listen.”

That is not what happened. The board was scheduled to vote on a school calendar at its regular meeting held in February.

The calendar was a “consent agenda” item, which indicates that there was at that time no significant problem expected with its adoption.

In response to citizen concerns raised at the February meeting, the board deferred action on the calendar and scheduled a rare “public forum” to allow citizens an opportunity not only to speak on the question, but to engage in discussion with the members of the School Board on the issue.

At the time, the board was praised by the speakers for its willingness to provide this opportunity.

Not only did the board receive public input at the forum, but we received numerous e-mails and comments from individual citizens, many setting out widely varying viewpoints.

In addition, an informal poll was taken by the CCEA, and later a formal poll of the teachers concerning the desirability of a pre- or post-Labor Day starting date.

At this point, I think, you would have to agree that the School Board was “responsive” to the community and was engaged in “listening.”

The real question, however, was this: “What calendar best serves the educational mission of the school system?”

This is a question to which many different people had different answers.

Based on the communications I had received, I was convinced that a pre-Labor Day start was better for our students and our teachers.

Members of the press and public certainly have a right to disagree with that assessment.

The question then became: “As an elected official, should I vote for something I think is not good for our students, simply because a lot of people are asking for it?”

At first I thought I should, but it didn’t seem right.

So I looked for guidance, and found it in the following comment, which I quoted at Monday night’s meeting: “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.” (Edmund Burke, 1774).

After serious consideration, and two extra months of study, the School Board decided that the best course of action was the original calendar.

Was this time and energy wasted, as you suggest? I don’t think so.

All issues were looked at exhaustively, not just public opinion.

Citizens were given repeated opportunities for input, and many got the result they hoped for; many didn’t.

So say I voted wrong. Say I’m stupid. Say I don’t understand the issues.

That’s fine.

But don’t say I didn’t respond or listen.

It’s not true.

Sometimes an honest answer to a question isn’t necessarily yes.

Bob Beard is a member of the Culpeper County School Board. He represents the East Fairfax District. E-mail