Board should be transparent

To the Thompson Falls School Board of Trustees,

I have four children in the Thompson Falls School District, two current students and two graduates. My husband Noel and I have been active in our children’s education and the wellbeing of our public school system. I am writing to you about the decision made unanimously by board members on the non-renewal of high school principal Rich Ferris’s contract.

To my knowledge, Rich has done an extraordinary job. Our family has gotten to know him and his family through school and having sons in the same grade. He is well respected in the community and respected by his staff. After hearing this unbelievable news of his contract not being renewed, people are all saying the same thing, “I did not see that coming” or “This is shocking.”

For three years Rich has been actively involved in all school functions and he has made a point to get to know the students and their families. He shows a wide variety of interests in our community and all that it has to offer. Rich has been a breath of fresh air in the school system. I appreciate his family’s Blue Hawk spirit at our games, and he is a principal who students, parents and teachers can trust. He is known for fairness and getting the job done. In my experiences, dealing with situations that came up with my kids, he was more than willing to listen and act! It is important to have a person with the qualities of being humble, trustworthy, trust in their staff, passion, courage, admits when they don’t have all the answers, self-motivated and confident. These are all qualities Rich Ferris possesses.

Rich has a lovely FAMILY. Trenna is very sweet and their kids are respectful, hard-working, full of life and good friends to many. They enjoy being involved in the community. His family alone speaks volumes to his character. Trenna is also part of the school system and does a wonderful job. They have been a big part of the health of our students and I know firsthand, Rich and Trenna have taken extra time for students after school to improve exercise skills for upcoming sports they want to participate in. I appreciate the dedicated work he takes to ensure the safety of the kids and their environment.

They have embraced Thompson Falls as their permanent home, even building their new home from the ground up. So once again you see that he is not afraid of hard work. This leads me to believe he did not feel threatened that his contract would not be renewed, but confident that he was doing his job to the best of his ability. Talk about getting the rug pulled out from under you. Our community needs a family like the Ferris’s and our community needs a principal like Rich Ferris.

Vice-Chairman Ryan Frields said, regarding the decision, “The board felt it was in the best interest of the district.” I would like to hear what the best interest of the district is and how Rich Ferris failed to contribute. As far as I’m concerned, along with many others, we were very happy with Rich Ferris’s performance. Why are you letting a good administrator slip through your fingers? A role model that is hard to find. What possibly made you feel this unanimous decision was in the best interest of our district when the majority of the community and staff think otherwise?

I think we all need answers at this point. We have elected you to ensure the students’ best interests in mind. This means to maintain transparency and accountability. I just can’t help but think you have dropped the ball on this one.

Ramona Jacobson,

Thompson Falls