Newly elected school board member Matt Schulte wrote in a Journal Star questionnaire during his campaign that he planned to send his two oldest children to Maxey Elementary this school year. Schulte's wife, Kristin, is a teacher and the couple homeschooled their oldest son through first grade, according to the news site.
But Schulte, who runs a local education nonprofit called Campus Life, later decided against the move and explained why in a statement to the Journal Star.
"After much thought and prayer we have decided not to send out two oldest children to public school this year," he wrote. "This does not reflect in any way on the quality of education (Lincoln Public Schools) provides, but is clearly the best educational choice for our children."
Schulte didn't explain further, NBC 6 reports.
Lincoln Education Association president Rita Bennett was apparently offended by Schulte's decision, and made sure the news media knows about it.
"That was a question during the campaign," she complained. "I had every faith he would follow through."
"We feel like LPS offers a really high quality education, and it feels like a lack of confidence," Bennett said.
While Bennett views Schulte's decision as a possible lack of confidence, others undoubtedly view her criticisms as petty politics.
Teachers unions are notoriously liberal organizations, as evidenced by nearly exclusive support for Democratic candidates, and Bennett is conservative. He won campaign endorsements from the Lincoln Independent Business Association and Americans for Prosperity, and was the lone vote against the school district's recent budget.
Property tax valuations increased substantially, as did state aid, and the district will receive about $32.4 million - or about 8.9 percent - more than last year. The budget calls for increasing spending by about 6 percent and to put about $10 million into cash reserves. Schulte wanted to give about $2 million back to taxpayers, but was shut down by fellow board members, the Journal Star reports.
Teachers unions virtually always want to impose the maximum levy on taxpayers and to funnel as much of the money as possible into teacher and employee salaries and benefits.
Schulte told the news site he and his wife plan to send their children to public schools at some point, but whether they do or not doesn't diminish his interest in the school system or ability to serve his constituents.
He pointed out that Campus life served more than 2,400 teens in public schools last year.
According to its website, Campus Life is "committed to providing a safe environment where students can develop healthy friendships, engage with a mentor, and talk about faith."
The group hosts club meetings and field trips like skiing, shopping at the Mall of America, camping and other experiences "to get students out of their normal environment to experience the world."
"I really want to have a great public school system," Schulte said, "and as a taxpayer and voter, I think all of us should care about our public schools, even if we don't have kids in public schools. They train our neighbor's kids, our co-workers, our doctors. So everyone should care about a public school system."
Comment: Common Core idiocy triggers homeschooling surge in North Carolina