The Dysart Unified School District Governing Board is being held out as an example to school district leaders across Arizona after it voted to discontinue its membership with the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), effective January 31, 2022.
At its December 8th meeting, the Dysart Governing Board voted 3-2 to adopt a resolution severing ties with the controversial ASBA.
The motion to sever ties was made by Dawn Densmore and seconded by Christine Pritchard. Chrystal Chaffin joined the two in the final vote. The three women argued that the vote was a matter of principle and absolutely necessary as a show of support for parents who had come under attack by the Biden administration’s Department of Justice, at the urging of the National School Board Association.
Board member Dawn Densmore shared a passage of the resolution she penned on Facebook: “The Dysart Governing Board is committed to empowering parental involvement in education and minimizing public monies to be used to promulgate a letter to the President of the United States inferring criminal intent on parents who take an active part in their children’s education.”
The Dysart Board’s action has won it attention and praise from conservative leaders both in Arizona and nationally.
“I applaud the Dysart governing board for doing what’s right and discontinuing its membership with the Arizona School Boards Association,” said former Congressman Matt Salmon. “I encourage more local school boards to follow Dysart’s lead by ending their membership with the ASBA until it stands up for parents and against the NSBA’s toxic behavior.”
The Dysart Board won the attention and praise from near and far.
“I applaud the Dysart governing board for doing what’s right and discontinuing its membership with the Arizona School Boards Association,” said former Congressman Matt Salmon. “I encourage more local school boards to follow Dysart’s lead by ending their membership with the ASBA until it stands up for parents and against the NSBA’s toxic behavior.”
I applaud @DysartUSD‘s governing board for doing what’s right and discontinuing its membership with @AzSBA.
And I encourage more local school boards to follow their lead until @AzSBA stands up for parents and against @NSBAPublicEd‘s toxic behavior.https://t.co/5bQa4OoK8L
— Matt Salmon (@MattSalmonAZ) December 11, 2021
“Dysart Unified School District #89 will no longer be an active member of the Arizona School Board Association.”
The vote to end membership was was 3 to 2. pic.twitter.com/3JP0jL2ZzO
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) December 10, 2021
Parents in neighboring district hope to follow suit:
Arizona School Board Association has sided w/National School Board & their call for parents that attend school board meetings to be labeled domestic terrorists. The Peoria Unified School District is a paying member of ASBA & has given them $95,618 taxpayer dollars since 2019…. pic.twitter.com/edz2jFNL7j
— Heather Rooks (@ThePeoriaMom) December 14, 2021