Dear Editor,

One incumbent is seeking re-election for Escalon School Board. This incumbent has been on the board for seven or eight unadvertised terms, at four years a term. They have no children or even grandchildren that I know of in the District. The following is only a sample of what was tolerated during those years (restriction of words will not allow more).

One entitled employee refused to have driver/custodians work at their site, creating a shortage of school bus drivers. Children were bitten by dogs, others locked in their garage all day frightened as parents had already left for work, many standing in rain, hassled by passing strangers, all while waiting for a bus that wasn’t coming. No change was made until the employee retired, even though the cost to our children was high; their safety certainly compromised.

A booster club was drained of their money in promise of a travel bus. Much unneeded time and materials went into this converted bus, six new tires, stainless steel floor (great for slipping!) and enhanced lighting, but it was never completed. Their money was poorly managed and eventually they lost it all. Whatever happened to all the materials that were bought but never put to use on this foreseen disaster?

Children were riding on unchecked buses because the person preforming (sic) safety checks did so on paper only. Air buses had hydraulics and hydraulic buses had air brakes. It proved to be so embarrassing the employee filed a law suit for the return of copies of those reports, as well as videos that showed to them to be completely incompetent. The case was laughingly thrown out, but the damage and the employee remained.

The District was an awesome place when the incumbent first took their seat, but with other hand-picked members and undirected administration (who would tattle on each other); it morphed into an undesired employee protection agency.

Board advocacy needs to be for children.

Grace Joyce