Call for school board resignations is shortsighted

A few days after three new Cedar Rapids school board members were elected and a $117 million bond issue missed the 60% margin needed for passage by less than one percentage point, state Sen Molly Donahue dropped a bombshell.

Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids and an educator in the district, called on three current board members, Cindy Garlock, Jennifer Neumann and David Tominsky, to resign.

“The failure of the Cedar Rapids school bond — after years of planning, significant public dollars and countless opportunities to engage the community — is a clear and undeniable message; this board’s remaining leadership has lost the confidence of the people it serves,” Donahue wrote in a letter printed on Iowa Senate stationery.

“The three of you have had ample time, resources and authority to deliver a transparent, community-supported plan for our district. Instead, the process has been marked by poor communication, insufficient transparency and a persistent disconnect from the educators, parents and residents whose support was essential,” Donahue wrote.

“It is the result of repeated failures to build trust, seek genuine community input and provide clear, consistent information. Our students now face years of delay on critical improvements,” Donahue wrote.

We believe Donahue is being shortsighted. The newly configured board hasn’t had a chance to make the changes needed to address complaints about transparency, loss of trust, and other issues. We’re hopeful the board will make fundamental changes in the way it operates, communicates and debates issues in public.

We have an election process. Voters chose Laura Zimmerman, Ashley Burns and Scott Drzycimski to join the school board. In 2027, there will be an election to fill the seats held by Garlock, Neumann and Tominsky. Voters get to decide who represents them on the school board. Donahue is demanding that the members quit, canceling the choices made by voters in a democratic process.

We believe Donahue does care about students. It’s difficult to see how a dramatic leadership shake-up is in the best interest of kids in the district. We believe the board and its new members will gather input from voters and listen to ideas to enhance the bond issue’s already strong chances of passage next time.

None of this considers the six-figure cost of a special election. Clearly, that money could be better spent.

Donahue certainly has the right to share her opinion on the district’s direction. But ousting elected officials will only cause new problems, not solve nagging issues.

It’s a bad idea. The district should shrug it off and move ahead.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com