Fast and loose with the truth or just inaccurate? A recent Crimson 5 flyer suggests that an article about a tax hike appeared on a Columbia Spy post on 6/19 of this year. In fact, the article appeared on May 28, 2019. True, a tax hike was approved on June 20, 2019 (by two current Crimson candidates), so in that respect 6/19 could be considered correct, but in essence, they're touting their own tax hike.
The Crimson 5 (formerly Crimson 6) Columbia School Board candidates are complaining about school taxes, but the last tax hike was in 2019, during the tenure of current Crimson candidates Cole Knighton and Fred Thomas when they served on the board. In fact, Knighton was Finance chair at the time, and Thomas seconded the motion and both voted for the tax hike, according to minutes of the June 20, 2019 Columbia School Board meeting.
There's also been speculation within the community that the purpose of the Crimson 5 is to bring back former Columbia School Superintendent Tom Strickler, who is now CFOO of the Elizabethtown School District. This theory is partially supported by Knighton's sudden resignation a few years ago, in protest of the board not renewing Strickler's contract. Knighton is now the de facto leader of the Crimsons.
One wonders if Knighton's only goal is Strickler's reinstatement. He hasn't seemed too interested in serving on the board otherwise. For example, his attendance record was abysmal - only 40% - according to a recent post by the Columbia School Board Candidates for Continued Growth.
Reportedly, only two of the Crimson candidates have attended any school board meetings this year - and only sparsely at that.
So how interested are they in serving our school district if they don't even show up? How could they know and understand recent issues?
Currently, our school district is moving in a positive direction: Taxes are stable, while attendance and test scores have risen. So, why would the Crimson group want to disrupt this forward momentum, unless they have an agenda, which apparently they do.
Columbia voters would do well to keep the current momentum going by voting for a board that's already brought success: Sandy Duncan, Sonya Duncan, Kathleen Hohenadel, Charles Leader, Lauren VonStetten - and Sharon Lintner.
There's also been speculation within the community that the purpose of the Crimson 5 is to bring back former Columbia School Superintendent Tom Strickler, who is now CFOO of the Elizabethtown School District. This theory is partially supported by Knighton's sudden resignation a few years ago, in protest of the board not renewing Strickler's contract. Knighton is now the de facto leader of the Crimsons.
One wonders if Knighton's only goal is Strickler's reinstatement. He hasn't seemed too interested in serving on the board otherwise. For example, his attendance record was abysmal - only 40% - according to a recent post by the Columbia School Board Candidates for Continued Growth.
Reportedly, only two of the Crimson candidates have attended any school board meetings this year - and only sparsely at that.
So how interested are they in serving our school district if they don't even show up? How could they know and understand recent issues?
Currently, our school district is moving in a positive direction: Taxes are stable, while attendance and test scores have risen. So, why would the Crimson group want to disrupt this forward momentum, unless they have an agenda, which apparently they do.
Columbia voters would do well to keep the current momentum going by voting for a board that's already brought success: Sandy Duncan, Sonya Duncan, Kathleen Hohenadel, Charles Leader, Lauren VonStetten - and Sharon Lintner.
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