Vote against recall and cancel culture

The cancel culture is alive and well at the West Bonner County School District.

As a resident and taxpayer, later living in Zone 4 of the WBCSD, I voted for Keith Rutledge, who won the race and later became chairman of the board. My vote counted on that election day, and I looked forward to Keith remaining in office for his four-year term. I concurred with Keith's votes; as they match the promises he made on the campaign trail, I could see that the district was running more efficiently, the budget became more transparent, and Keith's election of our new superintendent set the stage for a much improved education for our children.

With only a year and a half into their terms, a group of people decided among themselves that Keith and trustee Susan Brown must be canceled from their duly elected offices. Why? Because Keith and Susan did not vote the way the group wanted them to vote. Please keep in mind that Keith and Susan have never done anything illegal, immoral or unethical to deserve this cancellation. They merely kept their campaign promises by voting the way they said they would.

If this recall is successful, the remaining three board members will select the new trustees. (On social media, the group is touting that they have the replacements already selected with no community input.) My prediction is that they will fire Superintendent Branden Durst, replace him with a new one from the inside, and we will be right back to the old ways of low test scores and high dropout rates.

Voting for the recall will constitute a mockery of our election system and will cancel the votes of every citizen who voted to put Keith and Susan in office for the four-year term they richly deserve. I strongly urge everyone to vote against this cancel culture recall.

JIM KELLY

Laclede