Montrose County School Board (RE-1J)
President Neisha Balleck

by: A.T. Maymi

The good citizens of Montrose County elected last November Neisha Balleck and her conservative colleagues to the Montrose County School District.  Their election victory was not to continue the status quo, but to deliver positive change for the benefit of the students and taxpayers.  Not to benefit a small yet loud minority of malcontents (a number of the same individuals who are also targeting our newly elected Mayor and previously a County Commissioner) who have failed to accept the election results by exhibiting alleged threats, intimidation tactics, and now calling for a recall or the removal of Neisha Balleck - elected by her peers as School Board President.

Neisha is a professional and as noted above was elected to bring positive change to the School District.  The noted malcontents disapprove of Neisha and the Board placing the current school superintendent on paid administrative leave while an investigation is being conducted.  The response by her supporters is quite revealing.  With or without the current investigation, the School Superintendent is subordinate to the School Board. 

In other words, the Board is her supervisor or employer.  Unfortunately, the previous Boards allowed the Superintendent to act as if she was the employer and the Board reported to her.  Furthermore, her supporters have overlooked the fact that previous Boards condoned the perpetual failing student test scores under her leadership.  This was and is unacceptable.  In fact, the Board had every right to terminate the Superintendent’s employment just based on the record of student test scores. 

Her record is compounded by the fact that a Sex Survey that asked young children (i.e. under the age of 13) about various sexual acts was introduced allegedly without parental consent and through the backdoor without the Superintendent’s knowledge.  Or did she have foreknowledge and condoned this  survey being introduced to three schools in the District (it was also distributed to other school districts by the author) until it became public knowledge?  For those that may not know, it was an “extremist MAGA” individual that discovered and reported this abominable news of sexual exploitation against young children.

There are malcontents crying foul for Neisha seeking or retaining legal counsel as is her and the Board’s prerogative.  The Board is not under any legal or ethical obligation to retain the former legal counsel.  And the voters elected the Board knowing the new members would approve the new Charter school known as Montrose Classical Academy.   This is a choice and an opportunity to provide a classical education without increasing taxpayer cost available to all students on a first apply first acceptance basis; however the malcontents favored the  Superintendent who has worked against the new Charter School.  A violation of her duties and a direct conflict against her supervisors, i.e. the newly elected School Board.  This action by itself is sufficient cause to terminate the Superintendent, which has not taken place so far; but again her supporters are bent out of shape that she is on leave during an investigation regarding other matters.

The majority expressed their will for the new Board last November and we will not be the silent majority while the malcontents promote misinformation and advocate for the old status quo of failed policies or attempts to remove the School Board President.

To the conservative School Board members, you were elected because you promised change.  Therefore, be strong, stand for what is right, and support the Board President that you elected. 

Finally, there is already just cause, in my opinion, to terminate the Superintendent now based on her actions and conduct despite the current investigation.  However, this has not taken place and why not?  Yes, elected office is not easy and unfortunately it brings false and misleading accusations by the opposition. 

Winning an election, though, is only the genesis; because the real work, challenges, and battle is when you are actually in office as an elected official.  You have only one chance to get this right or else the malcontents a.k.a. the radical Left will win, i.e. reinforce the failed policies of the current Superintendent.  If this occurs it will be to the detriment of the students, our community, and potentially deprive our country of future leaders in industry and government.