Success!!
Zones 2 and 4 vote to recall Rutledge and Brown!
Our community came together to remove Rutledge and Brown. People from all sides, with a wide range of views came together to stand up and do what is right for our school district! Thank you to everyone who volunteered, called, knocked on doors, and most importantly - went out to vote! The turnout was equivalent to a presidential election year. You all can be proud about a job well done!
Board accepts the resignations of Durst and Reilly, appoints Joseph Kren as interim Superintendent.
At the October 26th board meeting, the board accepted both Branden Durst and Melissa Reilly's resignation. They appointed Joseph Kren as temporary Superintendent with a 90 day contract. He previously served as principal of PRLHS from 2016 to 2020, and before that had served as Superintendent of other North Idaho School districts. Our hard work is continuing to pay off! Remember, we aren't done yet though. November 7th elections are just around the corner. If you are in zone 3, we are supporting Elizabeth Glazier and if you are in zone 5, Carlyn Barton. This is extremely important to make sure candidates with WBCSD best intentions sit on our board.
Rutledge and Brown's Leadership Causes Financial and Legal Crisis
Results of Letter from Idaho State Board of Education
BACKGROUND CHECKS
- Rutledge and Brown were negligent in not enforcing the background check policy for Superintendent Branden Durst or his newly hired office staff.
- All of these individuals have access to employee and student records as well as financial records.
- As of Aug 16, Durst and his office staff have not passed the required background check and lied about its status.
- Concerning because of Durst’s history in 2022 of a temporary restraining order restricting access to his own kids
NO TIES TO THE COMMUNITY
- "I did not know anybody in this school district. My kids never went to this school. I knew nobody. We won by 7 votes." (Keith Rutledge - July 8, 2023 Town Hall, Trinity Baptist Church)
- They have acted in bad faith and against the best interests of the students in order to further a political agenda and disrespected our community by showing no desire to listen to the concerns of parents, teachers, or community members.
HIRING AN UNQUALIFIED SUPERINTENDENT
- Hired Branden Durst despite his employment with the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) - an organization that, in Durst's own words, wants to "dismantle public education".
- Recruited Branden Durst who lacks basic state required certifications to be superintendent despite having never worked in schools and declining to hire Susie Luckey, long time WBCSD administrator and Idaho's 2018 National Distinguished Principal.
FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT
- Ignored advice from independent financial audits (2021 & 2022) to hire more staff in the business office to ensure the implementation of best accounting practices.
- Voted against running the levy in March 2023 and undermined the levy in May causing a loss of 1/3 the budget, which could have funded sports, academic programs, and office staffing levels.
- Choosing to deplete reserve funds for on-going budget items instead of holding them for unexpected repairs (roof damage due to winter storm) or to pay bills that come due before state funds are received putting the district in a position where they may not be able to pay essential bills.
- This reckless financial approach is unsustainable and undermines student achievement.
LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS
- Claimed teachers are overpaid stating they didn't even deserve a four percent raise while neighboring districts offer $10k+ higher salary on average.
- At the last minute rejected previously adopted curriculum without alternatives, leaving teachers to fend for themselves. Many teachers spent their own money to create a workable solution.
- Teachers did not receive letters of intent for employment during the 2023/24 school year until mid Aug. Thus, teachers did not know if they would have a job. Normally, teachers receive a letter of intent in June. This certainly contributed to some teachers leaving.
NEGLECTING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
- If Rutledge and Brown genuinely cared about students achievement, they would address the high teacher and administrative turnover along with the financial instability creating a chaotic environment they have allowed to persist. Teachers and staff are the heart of our schools!
Keith Admitting He Knows No One In the District
Susan Unsure of the Job
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