Think before you vote in school board race: Letter

Sometimes, looking at different viewpoints in York County, it seems like we have two different time periods trying to be just big enough and loud enough to force the other out. School boards have historically focused on school policy and budget approval; recent races have focused on grandstanding and promoting ego and religion over qualifications.

As voters, do we really want to be talked down to, and proven wrong simply for the sake of letting a candidate feel like they’ve “won”? Is that really what a school board race should be about?

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Should we fear the “biker church” driving by to intimidate us in school drop-off lines, or candidates showing up at our doorsteps because we disagree? Can we not speak up on social media without the inevitable dog pile of insults from a current board member and his entire family? Is this the world you want to live in, Southern York County?

Standing by our values is important, but no one, least of all our children, will win this if we only view our school boards as a battleground. Please look at why candidates are running. Is it because they care about their community, or is it because they are angry? Is it because they have funding from a major political party, or because neighbors have pulled together to fundraise? Do their good ideas outweigh those that you disagree with? Is it because they want to make things better, or because they want to shut people out?

Focusing on “winning” at all costs builds negativity, and is counterproductive – a school board, like a community, will be made up of many different people who will need to work together, rather than “win” on their own. Please, think before you vote, and vote for the school district that our families deserve.