Reader disappointed in crowding meetings

At the Jan. 17 school overcrowding meeting, the Columbia Basin Secondary School supporters were repeatedly assured that "CBSS would not be closing." After specifically asking if the current high school program would remain, we were told it "might not." At the end of the meeting, without further explanation or information, we were given a ballot with two options and asked to vote on one. Both options included making CBSS a middle school, which would necessitate eliminating the high school program.

Because of the contradicting information, supporters of CBSS banded together to investigate other possible options, raise awareness and garner community support. We have circulated a petition to present to the school board to demonstrate the public support, which has received extremely positive responses.

Initially I believed our efforts could make a difference until I came across the Delphi Technique. It's a technique used to lead people to a predetermined outcome while giving the illusion of taking public input and under the pretext of being accountable to the public. When done effectively, it makes the people, not the elected or public officials, accountable for the outcome. This way when people object, they can say "but we had the input of the people." This allows bureaucracy to do what it wants while making the people, not themselves, accountable for the decisions made.

From the community meetings, to a "neutral" facilitator, to small discussion groups, to a deliberately narrow survey, the entire process taken by the school district regarding overcrowding is a textbook example of the Delphi Technique.

It appears the school district had two predetermined goals-push people to vote for a new high school bond and eliminate the existing CBSS program (which would only further overcrowd MLHS).

I believe the district made its decisions before the first meeting ever took place.

Karen Pope

Moses Lake