I’m responding to Mr. Schneiter’s letter that states I didn’t check the facts regarding contract busing. He completely missed the point of the letter.

I have no position personally regarding contract busing. The point of the letter was to criticize the method by which a decision of this magnitude was reached. It’s very obvious to me, however, that Mr. Schneiter does have a very biased opinion regarding contract busing. From personal experience, I’m aware that once a bureaucratic “empire” has been established, it is very difficult to change it. He states there are a lot of “possibilities” that can occur. Personally, I’d like something a little more definitive than gloom and doom predictions and innuendo before I form my unbiased final opinion. Also, our elected officials are the ones responsible for due diligence and research (using unbiased sources), to conclude what the “facts” are. Then, and only then, it is their responsibility to make the decision, regardless of whether it costs them a few votes next election.

As my previous letter stated, I’m critical of the process by which this decision was reached. The information in the article stated the school district could possibly save $1 million by contract busing but decided against it because of “public opinion.” It is my contention that not ALL of the public was included in the decision making process, nor was a comprehensive evaluation conducted.

Actually, “public opinion” should be the last consideration after the school district has conducted an unbiased and comprehensive study of contract busing. The school board should have instructed the superintendent to have one of his upper management staff prepare a report/recommendation after contacting about 20 school districts that have had at least six to eight years of experience with contract busing, and obtain the pros/cons of their experiences. Relying on the biased opinions of select members of the public to make this type of decision is a disservice to the students and the public, i.e. the taxpayers.

KEITH HAWKINS

Coeur d’Alene