The start to LT’s second semester has been a rough one, to say the least. Protests, social unrest, grading changes, mask mandates—all of which needed to be addressed by the school. The people addressing these issues are the real unsung heros: the school board. 

Most fail to consider that the position of a Board of Education member is voluntary. Yes, they must be elected to office, but they’re still civil servants. For most board members, this is their side job. They occupy themselves all day with their careers, parenting, etc., and still manage to fulfill the work of a board member. Not only is the amount of meetings and work tremendous, they are unpaid for their dedication to the school and community and are heavily underappreciated. 

Board meetings are an opportunity for members of the community to address the Board of Education with criticism, praise, and new ideas. These meetings are very valuable and a wonderful outlet to express concerns. However, recently, people have been misusing board meetings as an excuse to verbally abuse the board members. It is understandable that most people who choose to address the board are normally speaking about things they are upset about; however, lately at board meetings, people have used their speaking time to berate, harass, and name-call the school board over mask mandates. On top of belligerence at meetings, some members have been receiving multiple hate emails and threats. It is quite frankly an embarrassment to the LTHS community. 

The board members are undeserving of these abuses, and people fail to consider the amount of effort they put into the school district. Even if one disagrees with decisions that have been made, it is important to keep in mind that each issue voted on takes extensive research and consideration, which proves to be extremely time consuming. 

The amount of time and effort put into the school and community by busy board members is greatly underappreciated and under considered, and the inappropriate display of aggression at recent board meetings is extremely disappointing. 

Staff Vote: 23-2