Red shirts march on Monday

The historic Minden Elementary School serves as offices for the Douglas County School District.

The historic Minden Elementary School serves as offices for the Douglas County School District.

The red shirts are coming, but it’s not the king’s men. The red shirts are a group of parents, teachers and community members known as “We Deserve a Better Board,” who will be marching from Carson Valley Middle School and along Highway 395 4 p.m. Monday.

A flyer has been circulating on community social media forums and reached The Record-Courier office explaining the group’s plans during the march.

The Douglas County School Board meets Tuesday at Douglas High School in the Media Center.

Items on the agenda include second readings for bylaws 060, 070, 338 and 902 and a nationwide search for a new superintendent.

Trustees meet at 4 p.m. The four-member majority on the board has been subject of public protest since the beginning of the year.

On Oct. 26, the Nevada Attorney General’s Office confirmed that it had received 46 open meeting law complaints over the course of two months. A complaint from February is still under review.

Opponents filed a public records lawsuit against the school board in order to obtain texts and emails related to the operation of the district from trustees.

We Deserve a Better Board’s mission is “to elevate the voices and advocate for change for the people it matters to most within the Douglas County School District — “the students, the parents and grandparents and the teachers and staff.”

“We deserve a better board that listens to students and parents, supports staff and students, is transparent and follows fair processes,” ac-cording to the announcement. 

We Deserve a Better Board has been actively involved at school board meetings voicing their concerns regarding some of the actions the Douglas County School Board has recently made.

“We feel frustrated with the current board and it’s direction for a variety of reasons,” according to the group’s website.

Some of those concerns include the hiring of Joey Gilbert and replacing the district’s experienced legal counsel, bringing negative attention from regulatory boards like the NIAA, demonstration a lack of transparency in meetings and decision-making and more according to the group’s website.

“It (the Douglas County School Board) is plowing forward to achieve those unnecessary and potentially dangerous goals while ignoring the expertise, concern and wisdom of the students, parents, teachers and long-term community members,” reads a statement on the website.

The purpose of the march on Monday is to continue their mission and to show the community that they are committed to positive change.

Visit https://www.wedeserveabetterboard.com/ for more information about We Deserve a Better Board.


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