Dear Editor,
Until my appointment to the Paso Robles City Council last September, it was my honor to serve on the Paso Robles School Board for nearly ten years. My recent experience on the school board has led many of you to ask who is the more qualified candidate for the Paso school board. After much thought and prayer, this endorsement is provided as a private citizen. The opinions expressed are my own.
First, how did we get here? Why is there a special election estimated to cost the school district. i.e., taxpayers, $453,000? Quite simply, we are asked to believe that a sole Paso Robles school district employee, Ms. Carey Alvord, whether by her own volition or prompted to do so by others, instigated a challenge of Mr. Kenney Enney’s lawful appointment by the school board. Ms. Alvord was allegedly aided and abetted by district staff, School Board Trustee Mr. Tim Gearhart, Paso Robles Public Educators Executive Director Mr. James Lynett, and San Luis County Schools Superintendent Mr. James Brescia and County Clerk Recorder Ms. Elaina Cano. I have seen the corroborating email exchange to back up this claim including Ms. Alvord’s request to have her name redacted from her petition. Ms. Alvord’s challenge resulted in a petition that evolved into Mr. Brescia demanding Mr. Enney resign his school board appointment. School employees have indicated that they were forced to sign the recall petition on school grounds during school hours. In my opinion, the petition should not have been validated by Mr. Brescia or by Ms. Cano. The rush to judge and summarily eliminate Mr. Enney begs the question, “What reward (or threat?) could be so great as to merit risking one’s professional reputation?”
Both Ms. Hollander and Mr. Enney command admiration and esteem from their respective peers and our gratitude for running for office. My association with Ms. Angela Hollander goes back twenty years. We have worked together on several projects at St. Rose. She awarded a $5,000 scholarship to one of my sons. She asked for my assistance when she was having a hard time understanding the Pastor. I know Ms. Hollander well enough to see her similarities with two other school board trustees from recent years, Joan Summers and Kathleen Hall. Both Mses. Summers and Hall were trustees and subjects of the SLO County Grand Jury Report, “A Cautionary Tale.” The community is far better served by avoiding a repeat performance of rubber stamps brought on by what the Grand Jury noted as, among others, failure to independently verify information, cronyism, failure to provide adequate financial oversight, and not following a proper system of checks and balances. A school board being of one heart, one mind is a recipe for repeating the mistakes of the Williams administration. A diversity of opinion is needed.
I am endorsing Mr. Kenney Enney because he is more likely to:
- Restore true and complete transparency
- Restore the greatly diminished rights of parents to be heard, to select textbooks, to set priorities, to be the first and only voice for any change in their minor child’s sexuality, gender identity, or pronouns
- Be an independent leader not beholding to any political party or union yet able to build consensus
- Hold the school superintendent accountable for their actions, the actions of the superintendent’s employees, declining enrollment, teacher flight, and the lack of student discipline,
- Set meaningful goals to overcome the creeping socialism, wokeness, deplorable academic malaise, learning loss, gang and drug activity that collectively results in the poor morale that is now consuming and compromising the Paso Robles School District
- Demand common sense answers as to why the school board is so committed to spending $20-30 million the district cannot afford to rebuild a school that isn’t be needed due to declining enrollment
I believe that Mr. Enney is better suited to finding out why teachers are being offered a $1,000 bonus to learn how to assist our students to change their sexual orientation and/do gender identity without having to notify students’ parents. Once students graduate, I believe, like Mr. Enney, that as adults, our alumni can make whatever decision suits them after graduation, but until then, our teachers have no business grooming children let alone usurping the rights, duties, and privileges of the parents of minor children. The school district and teacher interference must stop.
I believe Mr. Enney is better suited to finding out why in 2019, the superintendent and his staff supported the teachers at Paso Robles High School choosing their own principal, which has resulted in so many questionable practices such as boys now showering with girls and girls using the boys’ locker room. Feminine hygiene products are now standard equipment in boys’ bathrooms. Even with so many new cameras, students say it is easier to buy drugs at the high school than on the street. Fights seem to be on the rise but remain underreported. Our supposedly closed high school campus is far too porous.
At the Marc 28 school board meeting, PRPE/Paso Robles Public Educators Union’s Executive Director, Mr. James Lynett, was given free rein by board president and PRPE darling Mr. Williams to endorse Ms. Hollander and to publicly castigate Mr. Enney. Even if Mr. Williams lacks the experience or the will to call out his supporter, Superintendent Dubost knows better. He should have stopped Mr. Lynett from making his comments. While the union and Mr. Lynett are free to endorse whomever they choose, California FPPC/Fair Political Practices Commission, board policy, and past practice prevent any political endorsement from the dais or from the podium. This blatant act of political privilege should be a warning sign of things to come as PRPE increases its grip on the school board and its power over the superintendent and his staff. Sad to say the same is true at St. Rose, where Ms. Hollander was encouraged to speak at last Sunday’s services without the same courtesy being extended to Mr. Enney. This favoritism violates both Diocesan policy and FPPC rules.
Upon their recent election, union endorsed school board members rewarded their union benefactors with a 10 percent raise. These same unions have already endorsed Ms. Hollander. Paso Robles Public Educators have already contributed thousands of dollars and in-kind benefits to Ms. Hollander, far more than is typical or necessary for a school board campaign in Paso. Because of the union’s inappropriate donation to Ms. Hollander, I believe Mr. Enney is much more likely to be unencumbered when it is time to make the difficult choices to cut the school budget when California’s projected $22 billion shortfall next year increases to more than $40 billion in 2025, if not sooner. As we have seen in prior revenue declines, education will take the first brunt of the Governor’s cuts in the form of shrinking payments to schools and then I.O.U.’s when Sacramento’s cash runs dry. How will the board sustain its 10 percent pay raise to the union? Which candidate will make the best budget decision?
I have been to both of the two debates between Ms. Hollander and Mr. Enney. A few observations: Ms. Hollander uses “I” exclusively; Mr. Enney prefers “We.” Mr. Enney supports the success of charter schools, perhaps even a Charter Academy for the trades at Paso High; Ms. Hollander does not support funding charter schools. Mr. Enney favors a zero-tolerance approach for serious offenses such as bullying of anyone, not just protected classes. Assault, vandalism, blatant disrespect of teachers, and possessing, using, or dealing drugs, alcohol, or weapons also merit expulsion. Ms. Hollander doesn’t think so. Ms. Hollander still believes in the now debunked theory that union supported school closures, masks, and “vaccines” saved lives. Mr. Enney stated parents should have the right to choose to mask or vaccinate. Mr. Enney stated that an overlooked solution to increasing test scores is to offer Dual Immersion courses at all schools. Ms. Hollander prefers doubling down on her Raising-A-Reader program. Perhaps Ms. Hollander doesn’t realize that the parents of many English Learning families are working multiple jobs, and reading to your children requires the luxury of surplus free time. A question: if Ms. Hollander’s Raising-A-Reader program is so successful, why are Paso’s test scores so far below California, let alone the nation’s? Why is there such a disconnect in Paso schools? Why are our students allowed to fall further and further behind?
In closing, I ask you to consider the board’s impact on the future of Paso Robles Schools. Will strong leadership be needed to survive California’s looming financial crisis? Are you willing to stand up to the woke, politically correct mob who insults a true patriot, an honest, unbiased Marine who has supported America? Tell the clandestine organizers of Mr. Enney’s recall that they have it wrong. Tell them by your vote that Mr. Enney is a good man, the right man for the school board. Please, vote for Kenney Enney.
Chris Bausch, Private Citizen
