Committees, summit welcome additions

Through dark clouds left because of a legacy of disconnection with the community, we can see that the St. Charles school board and Superintendent Donald Schlomann are determined to establish a brighter era.

Hoping to put behind them the recent investigations and fallout from the bumpy Barbara Erwin tenure and the board's infamous poor handling of her contract, board members have embraced a new committee setup for handling district business as well as the first Summit 303 meeting scheduled for Nov. 8 at the Charlestowne Mall.

Committee structures are common in political arenas, and they have long been a standard in work places or social organizations. St. Charles schools have had plenty of committees in the past but recently created a new layer -- business and services, curriculum and instruction, policy, and community relations -- in order to get more input, more discussion and better plans. Summit 303 is the name for what will be a series of community gatherings that invite participation in the processes that affect how children in the district will be taught.

We are certain it did not take long for Schlomann to see what was eating away at his new school district. The fallout from the mold crisis, differences of opinion about a second high school, emotional boundary disputes, and the region's high taxes have strained the district. It is most telling in how those on one side of the river interact with those on the other. Schlomann calls the summit concept "an ambitious project," but one he hopes will bring the community together.

We agree with that assessment and encourage everyone in the district to find one of the many available communication avenues to get ideas and thoughts across to school officials and board members who hopefully understand that they must listen intently now that they have created a more open atmosphere. We also view this trend as a way to stifle disruptive knee-jerk rhetoric from those who complain loudly after a decision has been made. There should be no excuse for anyone to say they knew nothing about a decision beforehand and wonder out loud about how school board members could be so ignorant. When approached by someone who is outspoken about what should be done and who should do it, that resident should be asked which communication venue they chose to make their points. Did they attend committee meetings?

Have they met with school board members? Did they write a letter to the superintendent, or a letter to the newspaper? Or did they never take the time to learn about how a decision was made and what options were considered? It is fair, and even responsible of citizens, to ask board members hard questions and seek explanations. It is irresponsible to shoot from the hip, complain about the district and put a negative spin on everything with no prior involvement. That's called "hot air" no matter when it is blowing.