Faith Community – Column by Bob Shillingstad
Pogo, the character in a comic strip famously said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” If there was ever a more apt application of that, it is the public school districts; and not just locally, but across the nation. The Covid shutdown starting in 2020 was one of the worst, if not the worst, decision made by governments around the world. What is more amazing is the fact that very few government entities are owning the fact that the decisions they made were not based on science or common sense, nor have any basis in history.
Here is a rundown of mostly local history as a reminder before you vote in the November 5 election.
- The Coeur d’Alene School District received an initial payment of $26.57 million in Covid “pandemic” federal relief funding. More than $10 million remained after two years.
- Schools, churches, and many businesses were completely closed or open with restrictions and low attendance. Schools were basically shut down with Zoom classes or a staggered schedule.
- The Coeur d’Alene district would lose nearly 10 percent of their enrollment by the fall of 2020. They would continue to lose students every year thereafter in the midst of unprecedented population growth. In the 2022-23 school year, there were 10,042 students in the district, and in 2023-24 there were 9,581 students; a drop of 4.59 percent.
- In 2021, Coeur d’Alene School Board meetings were shut down by parents objecting to another year of quarantine. The September 25, 2021, meeting was contentious. Parents brought up the fact that Denmark never shut down schools and the Lakeland District was again having school as normal. They presented studies out of Denmark with 8,000 participants that showed masking had almost no effect. A study from the United Kingdom the previous summer showed there was no evidence that students infected teachers or vice-versa. Students were neither victims nor vectors of the virus.
- The “Idaho Dashboard” of Covid statistics showed that anyone under the age of 30 was not in any danger of health risks from the virus, and 80 percent of deaths and serious health risks were those over the age of 65.
- Coeur d’Alene’s closest neighbor, the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy had a far different opinion about the school year in 2021. The leaders decided that they will stick to five-day school weeks to benefit students. The academy is a public school that provides college prep education for grades 6-12. Dan Nicklay, the Academy’s principal wrote a letter to parents stating, “The Academy will still be here for our students, five days per week, delivering quality education. And our students will continue to lead the state. I hope that, like me, you believe that the answer to the state’s education woes is not less school, but better school defined by high academic standards and student achievement.”
- Coeur d’Alene School District has a per-pupil expenditure of $8,095 and Coeur d’Alene Charter is turning out scholars for $7,535. Does more money matter? Average SAT scores at Coeur d’Alene School District are 512 in Math and 519 in Reading and Writing. Meanwhile, Coeur d’Alene Charter is at 645 in Math and 650 in Reading and Writing.
The doctors and scientists that objected to the fake science and shutdowns during Covid are now being exonerated. We know that none of this was necessary and that the vaccine was not a vaccine at all. People who took the shots were still getting Covid and in fact had other health issues brought on by the shot.
We have met the enemy and he is us.”
Pogo
A levy is coming up for another $25 million for the Coeur d’Alene School District. Your vote is your choice. Do your own research. Public Charter schools have long waiting lists, while public district conglomerates are losing students and parental support. Voting is important for all citizens to express their voice, but what the district needs to do beforehand is apologize for their past decisions.
