Wednesday, May 13, 2009

PTA chastised for candidate endorsements

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By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

An attorney for the Blaine County School District has admonished the Wood River Middle School Parent Teacher Association for endorsing candidates for the May 19 board of trustees election.

"When there's any impropriety like this, we've got to do something to shut it down," attorney Adam King said.

King informed PTA Co-President Jill Bailey in an e-mail last Thursday that the endorsements were in "direct violation of the letter and spirit of the state and national PTAs and should cease immediately."

The PTA had endorsed the candidacies of Steve Guthrie in Zone 2 and Paul Bates in Zone 4. Guthrie is a Middle School PTA co-president and Bates is a Middle School PTA vice president.

"I have not had a chance to evaluate the effect of this action. However, in the interest of ensuring a fair election, I will be researching the effect and discussing the same with Superintendent [Jim] Lewis and the state attorney general's office," King wrote.

King further suggested that the PTA "immediately disseminate a public reaction and apology."

Bailey, a teacher at the Silver Creek Alternative School, could not be reached for comment.

Bates said Friday that the endorsements were inadvertent.

"We said we're sorry," Bates said.

Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com