Giltner School Board president target of recall petition

The president of the Giltner School Board is the target of a recall petition being circulated now in the Giltner area, a process initiated by local resident Jamie Bendorf.
According to documents filed in the Hamilton County Courthouse, Bendorf is seeking to have Chris Waddle’s name put on a recall election ballot for voters to decide if he should be removed from office.
“Christopher Waddle doesn’t hold the best interest of the patrons in the Giltner School District,” Bendorf wrote on the recall petition filing form.
Hamilton County Clerk Jill DeMers reported that the recall process was initiated Aug. 13, at which time she notified Waddle that he is the subject of a recall petition. Waddle had 20 days to offer a defense statement, which reads as follows:
“We have a strong administrative team, the finest teachers and staff, the highest enrollment of students in years and the district is in a good financial position for the future,” Waddle wrote. “These things happen when you have a school board with the right vision for the future. A recall under these conditions is not in the best interest of our school.”
DeMers reported that Bendorf is allowed 30 days to collect the necessary number of signatures to make the recall effort valid, which by law is 35 percent of votes the top vote-getter received in the last election. Based on those results (339 votes), 119 valid signatures will be required to move the process forward.
According to her calendar, DeMers said signatures are due to her office by Oct. 12, after which time she has 15 business days to verify the signatures. She noted that in order to be valid, signatures can only be collected by people who live within the Giltner School District.
Asked to further clarify her reasons for launching the recall effort, Bendorf offered the following statement:
“GPS has been a part of many deep family ties,” she wrote. “The Village of Giltner has always been proud of that and that was never a question to begin with. Our long, strong history is what keeps kids here and brings the graduates back as they start their own families. I want all our kids to have the ability to be a part of what many of us grew up with.
“Filing a recall on Chris Waddle was not a decision made lightly,” she continued. “My reasons for the recall are based upon what I have been seeing at our school. I can tell you information isn’t lining up. There are more reasons becoming apparent as I am talking one on one with community members. I feel those members need to come forward and share their own stories. GPS has some of the best parents in our community and some high-quality opt-in families. But what concerns me the most is hearing about families who have left due to administration dismissing concerns, current GPS parents that are looking at other options for schooling out of district, or even worse the fact they are regretting sending their child or children here.
“I have personally heard each of these concerns,” she wrote. “Waddle’s actions as board president have created a ripple effect in our community. Our school claims future numbers are going up, which is the cause for the need for a levy increase. One family leaving at a time won’t impact the school greatly, but how many families have to leave before it is a concern? Will it be too late to save our school if we wait and see? All I can ask for is parents to start asking questions, as well as to come to school board meetings and see if you can find the answers.
“I will end with this,” she concluded. “Many parents across the country are frustrated with what has been happening with their kids. I recognize and understand that schools and boards have had to make some tough decisions this past year. None of us were prepared and we all are stressed with the hand we have been dealt. My husband, being on GPS board until recently, dealt first hand with the demands that were placed on schools by COVID. I saw what that did to him and the board at our local level. Remember to come to the board from an empowering perspective and not from anger. These are your community members.”
Asked for a more detailed response to the recall effort, Waddle issued the following statement:
“Service on the board requires a member to have both the interest of the community and the district in mind as he or she votes on what is in the best interests of the school,” he wrote. “Although there have been a great number of hard decisions in the past year, no single board member acts on their own. Other than working with the agenda and serving as the chair of the meetings, the school board president is not given any more authority to act than any other member has. It still takes four members before something can happen.
“The recent levy increase, of which all six members voted for, is tied directly to pay increases for our employees, program additions to our school and building back our reserve,” he continued, referring to a 5 percent levy increase approved at the Sept. 13 meeting. “Our teachers had fallen behind in pay compared to our peers and the law required us to act. We have some of the finest staff in the state and it is only right they are paid what they are worth. Additional programming such as web design, agriculture and others are initiatives asked for by our students and patrons and we have listened and acted. We are a very well-managed school led by Mr. Mumm and he has been a great addition to our team.
“Our board has made good decisions for the school and it has been my privilege to serve as the president and work with these individuals who bring their own perspectives and work collaboratively to solve issues to make our school better,” he concluded. “Our school is positioned well for the future. Our enrollment is the highest it has been in years and we truly are the school of choice in our area. The board welcomes any interested parties to attend our meetings and see the work we are doing.”