It is very hard to comprehend that a school district has a public relations department.
And then there is the cost of $250,000.
I slugged my way through the article about the Mehlville school board and UNICOMARC — “the firm that is assisting the district with its public-engagement program.” Something about a revised contract with this firm that would expand the firm’s “scope of services to assist the district with school and community relations.”
I just couldn’t help but think that a PR firm, “public-engagement program” and “school/community relations” are code words for a goal of increased voter approval of more funding for schools.
We should look away at 6-percent across-the-board pay hikes this year — and last year pay hikes up to 6.88 percent.
We should forget that few people in the private sector receive 6-percent pay raises.
We should forget increased assessments on our property send increased funding to the schools year in and year out.
We should not even entertain how much the schools are receiving from each of us who pay for huge property tax increases.
PR firms are about strategy to work the public over for more and more money — like hiring a firm to empire-build.
We should forget that many people do not have very much unaccounted for in-come — little disposable income. And the district wants as much of it as can be had.
Kate Martin
Oakville
