Why Should We Trust the Ozark School Board on the International Baccalaureate?

Having observed the Ozark School Board in Ozark, Missouri, for a few years now, I am perplexed by the lack of leadership coming from Chuck Fugate on down. The lack of thinking combined with the monuments built to stroke egos in our community have raised questions about the actions of the school board starting with the construction of the new high school, a sterile building full of unneeded amenities that focus more athletics than on academics, and now the school board is trying to sell us on they actually believe in pushing up the quality of education? Why wasn't this a concern when they built the new Ozark High School.

It's hard not to make the case when it comes to athletics, Ozark High School is the place to be in Southwest Missouri. The facilities appear second to none when I have strolled around the campus, but those facilities have come with a great cost to taxpayers as full-video scoreboards, astroturf, stadium backed seating, a separate field house, a room for physical rehab including medical grade whirlpools, multiple gymnasiums appear to have been the priority of the school board. Shortly after Ozark High School presented a grand opening celebration of the new Tiger football stadium complete with marching band to kick off the new football season, elementary kids were sent home with fund raisers to raise money for classroom testing computers. Oh, but Chuck Fugate and company care about your kids education and they showed off their new football field to prove it.

Over $10 million was spent just on the football stadium alone, and within a few months a rumor started circulating in Ozark. The school was already outgrowing their new high school; therefore, the school board began to plan for a new high school on the south side all because they were careless with your tax dollars and wanted to build Friday night monuments rather than focus on education.

So isn't it funny now, after the obvious carelessness with your tax dollars, which were directed at athletics over academics at Ozark, Chuck Fugate and company now claim they are interested in your child's education. In fact they are so interested in your child's education, they want nothing to do with improving it on a local level. Rather, they are looking to a foreign government body known as the International Baccalaureate to provide the improved curriculum--centered around Marxist idea that Fugate and company hope you don't discover. There is a reason red is the official school color of Ozark High School, especially when you consider tigers or orange and black.

Now, why should we trust Mr. Fugate considering his obvious lack of leadership focused on athletics over academics at Ozark High School?