From Luke Hoenecke

Monroe

To the Editor:

Many people in the greater Monroe community can agree that the past two years have not been pleasant. With that said, the school board members for the School District of Monroe deserve a big thank you for their work during the pandemic. The school board members were put in a no-win situation, and did a tremendous job listening to all sides of the issue. They are to be commended for keeping our schools safe while keeping them open for learning, making sound judgments based on science and facts gathered by experts, and not giving in to bullying tactics laced with a political agenda. With the pandemic winding down (hopefully) it is time to start looking toward the future of our school district. In the coming year, the board will have to hire a new superintendent, an associate high school principal, address staffing issues, and work on getting a multi-million dollar referendum passed. These are huge decisions that will impact the district for years to come, which is why it’s shocking to hear that two candidates running for school board would NOT be running if it weren’t for the pandemic. Three of the school board candidates are running on the past issues. It was also appalling to hear that two candidates homeschool their children and choose not to send their children to the district schools. Why should candidates who do not send their children to School District of Monroe schools be making decisions for children in the district? These do not sound like candidates that have the best interest of the district’s future in mind. It is clear that Rich Deprez, Erik Eckdhal, and Dylan McGuire are the candidates who have the best interests of the School District of Monroe in mind. Their leadership will help shape our schools for success and allow students to thrive out in the big round world.