Letter to the Editor – District 55 School Board
May 17, 2023
Foreward:
The following is a letter to the editor from Laurens County School District 55 Board Chair, Cathy Little. Since her election, Ms. Little has worked tirelessly to improve District 55 for teachers, parents and most importantly the students. Sadly, a small but vocal group has recently disrupted board meetings without regard for the best interest of the community or students of District 55.
Thank you to the board members who remain and demonstrate a true commitment to do the work required. With three open seats and a special election scheduled for August 1 to fill them, do you your homework and then get out and vote for the candidate with the best skill sets to be a contributor to the overall success of the board and the school district. It’s time to rise above the noise and get to work.
Dear Editor,
Cathy Little, LCSD 55 Board Chair
I am compelled again to reiterate that the discussion during the Feb 27th meeting ended in NO action. From that point forward there have been NO board discussions or NO ‘coffee conversations’ regarding any changes to the superintendent’s contract. To clarify, the decision to request the attorney to attend the meeting that evening was NOT made by the board chair alone. THREE other board members also requested this discussion.
My focus since Feb 27th has been moving our district forward by supporting our teachers and students.
My hope was to use the called board meeting to enable the superintendent to do her job to the best of her ability and support the work going on in big and small ways in the district. It is time to find unity in advancing the education of our children rather than sow chaos that robs our children of the time we are here to serve them. And that starts with us being able to conduct board business in a civil manner. That was my hope and expectation for the board meetings on April 24th and May 1st, and that is also my hope and expectation for the meeting scheduled for May 22nd.
Unfortunately, due to the actions of some board members on April 24th and May 1st, we were not able to conduct business. Board members are servants to the community and have an obligation to perform the duties in which we were elected to perform. The negligence of some has tragically failed our students, teachers, other staff, our district as a whole, and our community.
They all deserve better. Compromise and unity are not possible without civil discussion. Civil discussion requires all parties to participate in the discussion. It’s imperative that all parties own their part and speak up when lies and false narratives are continuing to be shared. Conflict resolution is not handled in silence.
Cathy Little, LCSD 55 Board Chair
