After frequent legal debate, public outbursts and rescinded motions, the West Bonner County School District has a new superintendent without experience as a teacher or school administrator.

Durst, a former Idaho Freedom Foundation staffer, has drawn criticism from some who believe he is not qualified to take the district’s top position.

Durst has expressed controversial views, including advocating for public schools competing with private schools for taxpayer funding and expressing support for publicly funded religious schools. He’s also warned of teaching critical race theory, a common conservative rallying cry despite how rarely such curriculum is taught.

Durst’s annual salary will be $105,000.

  •  Dee   ( @Dee_Imaginarium@beehaw.org ) English
    4•1 year ago

    Potato state, potato minds. It’s potatoes all the way down.

    It’s really disgusting how conservatives are targeting children and schools. Every accusation is a projection isn’t even conjecture anymore, it’s just fact at this point.

    •  FirstCircle   ( @FirstCircle@beehaw.org ) OPEnglish
      5•1 year ago

      Their local community college is about to lose accreditation (from the NWCCU) because the school’s board is controlled by right-wing nut-jobs:

      The NWCCU investigation team found that donors pulled back more than $4 million in pledges and major gifts. Last December, credit rating agency Moody’s lowered NIC’s bond rating, which may make it more expensive for the school to take out loans.

      In an e-mail exchange with a student, Banducci painted himself as an adversary fighting “liberal progressives” that were “deeply entrenched.” In the same e-mail, Banducci said he was “battling the NIC deep state."

      You read that right, the old community college deep state.
      https://www.spokanepublicradio.org/regional-news/2022-04-04/northwest-higher-ed-accreditation-agency-puts-north-idaho-college-on-warning-status

      And now they’re importing this kind of QAnon lunacy into the public secondary school system. Those kids just don’t stand a chance.