After recall election, West Bonner agenda item plans to shake up school board

Three days after a recall election overwhelmingly voted out the chair and vice chair of the West Bonner County school board, an agenda item Friday night to “dissolve” the current school board and turn the meeting over to the superintendent has the community alarmed at an apparent attempt to maintain a grip on power.

The Aug. 29 recall election will not be canvassed and certified until Sept. 7. Until then, Chair Keith Rutledge and Vice Chair Susan Brown remain in their positions.

Together with Trustee Troy Reinbold, they maintain a majority that voted in June to hire superintendent Branden Durst, who has been a divisive figure in the district as it faces a major budget shortfall.

“I’m seriously concerned that it is a concerted effort to tie the hands of the next Board by the decisively recalled two Board members, Mr. Durst and others,” Trustee Margaret Hall said in an email. 

Under the first agenda item, “Reorganization of the Board,” listed sub-items are: to dissolve the current board of trustees, turn the meeting over to the superintendent, then nominate and elect a chairman.

Hall said she and Trustee Carlyn Barton had no knowledge of the agenda until late Thursday afternoon when it showed up in their inboxes.

The board is required to reorganize itself annually in January. Hall said it should not be reorganizing now.

In the past, the board has as a practice incorrectly turned the meeting over to the superintendent during reorganization to oversee nominations for the chair. This practice should be struck in the future, Hall said. 

She said the timing of the last-minute meeting before a three-day weekend is “highly inappropriate.”

“We are not sure what they are going to do, there are so many things they could do,” said Candy Turner, one of the organizers of the recall effort. One possibility, she said, is that the board majority plans to nominate Reinbold as the new chair.

The agenda includes an updated addendum to Durst’s contract, which could make it more difficult for the new board to fire him. Other action items are to consider the superintendent’s right to legal counsel related to employment and certification, and possible legal action against the Idaho State Board of Education.

“All public officials serve at the pleasure of the people,” Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane said in a statement Friday. “I encourage everyone to respect the election process and the will of the people of West Bonner who voted on Tuesday.”

McGrane said his office worked closely with the Bonner County Clerk’s office to ensure an accurate and secure election. He said the 63% turnout was unprecedented for an August election.

Once the recall election is certified and Rutledge and Brown are removed, the remaining board members will appoint their replacements.

Friday’s meeting starts at 5 p.m. in the Priest River Lamanna High School cafeteria.