The following letter to the editor was submitted to the Indy Spotlight by Joni Dowling:

Candidates promise to restore pride

To the Editor,

As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. As a resident of Perry Township, I will not be remiss in voting for members of our school board on May 6.

Four members of our current board, the majority, turned this township into a laughable circus this past year. Not only were the children of this township ignored, the residents of Perry Township were shut out of public meetings by limiting the number in attendance, not answering questions from the public, and having armed guards escort members of the audience out of the building for clapping, laughing, or saying things that this majority did not want to hear.

In one meeting, a Perry resident was told by a board member that "She did not have the right to participate. "This is our meeting." This majority also voted to spend over $1,000,000 to get rid of Doug Williams, a superintendent with a superb track record. He had been the township's superintendent for 13 years, and was honored in 2003 for being awarded Superintendent of the Year. The reason for the majority's desire to oust Dr. Williams is yet unknown to the public.

I am sure most of you have seen orange yard signs bearing the name of an organization protesting the school board and their actions. "Take Back Perry Schools" is a group of concerned parents, educators, teachers, students, and taxpayers that are committed to taking back control of the Metropolitan School District of Perry Township from a divided school board.

This division started from the actions of four individual board members with personal agendas and whose actions have put our schools in a downward spiral. Take Back Perry Schools has recently endorsed three candidates who are citizens with high moral values, integrity, and honesty. They have pledged to improve relations with the residents of Perry Township by having open communications at school board meetings, and by following the Code of Ethics of the Indiana School Boards. These candidates are Chuck Mercer, Ken Mertz, and Gwen Freeman.

On May 6, please go to the polls knowing that your concerns will be addressed by these school board members who have vowed not to intimidate, abuse or threaten the residents of Perry Township. A vote for Chuck Mercer, Ken Mertz, and Gwen Freeman will be one step closer to restoring pride in Perry Township.

Joni Dowling
Indianapolis