First of a series
[img]2321|right|Alan Elmont||no_popup[/img]Saying that after eight years of involvement with CBAC, the Community Budget Advisory Committee for the School District, “I am jaded and I don’t want to do this anymore,” Alan Elmont has resigned as its chair and from the committee.
“It is better for others to step up.”
Before walking away, the peppery community activist said that the 10-person group – presumably primarily intended to be a vocal vehicle for residents – never has had more than minor influence. And now its sphere of influence has been further shrunk.
Half of the committee, five, are community members.
Contrary to its founding objective, the onetime School Board candidate told the newspaper this afternoon that CBAC “is pretty stacked” in other directions, away from the community.
“If I were to reconfigure the committee, I would have a larger community input and less, if any, District or union input.
“I do not believe CBAC’s input is properly valued by the superintendent or the School Board,” Mr. Elmont said.
While commending Supt. Dave LaRose and Asst. Supt. for Business Mike Reynolds on their leadership of the District, he was uncomfortable with a significant policy change in the matter of process.
Instead of giving CBAC the first look when the District is presenting a plan for budgetary expenditures that would reverse earlier cuts, Mr. Elmont said, it goes directly to the School Board “without any prior input from us.”
(To be continued.)
