The Broward County School Board met Tuesday evening and got an earful. Among those scheduled on the agenda was student reporter Kenneth Preston, who told David Webb at The Hill Tuesday that “roughly 5 percent” of $100 million allocated for school safety programs has been spent since 2014 — something Superintendent Robert Runcie has called “fake news” in response.
Here’s Preston’s pinned tweet:
You’ve been sitting on $100m in school safety money for years. The Bond Oversight Committee you mentioned criticized you for the funding delays and failure to explain. Your denial is categorically untrue, and I look forward to presenting the evidence to the public on April 10th. https://t.co/ByHqmzWVKr
— Kenneth Preston (@kennethrpreston) March 28, 2018
Preston reportedly didn’t have long to speak at the board meeting, though. Hunter Pollack’s sister Meadow was killed in the Valentine’s Day shooting.
Why wasn't @kennethrpreston allowed to speak his original length of time at the Broward school board meeting? Because @RobertwRuncie doesn't want to be called out for the $100m allocated to school safety that wasn't spent! Very crooked! What else is he hiding? WE NEED TO FIXIT !
— Hunter Pollack (@PollackHunter) April 10, 2018
If I heard them say “fake news” one more time, I was going to scream. Total deflection tonight. Convenient they praised the political pawns pushing gun control but criticized those in attendance who took them to task on the failures of the School Board.
— Candace (@RareCandace) April 11, 2018
#BrowardCounty just shut down this student reporter at the hearing, where he was going to present evidence of #schoolsafety and discipline policy failures. Denied the seven people he brought to testify and held him to 3 mins! Hmm… @DLoesch https://t.co/Xet8TjkIRv
— Inez Stepman (@InezFeltscher) April 10, 2018
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Doing work the media won't do: "Preston has spent more than 100 hrs searching through 1000s of pages of local gov docs…If media is looking for a jaw-dropping story that assigns some of the blame..then trust me when I say Preston holds it in his hand." https://t.co/MORtOgnJgk
— Inez Stepman (@InezFeltscher) April 10, 2018
NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch was tagged in on the conversation and didn’t pull any punches when it came to allocating blame.
Legacy media ignores this student reporter and his work; they ignore this MSD teacher who blew the whistle of the security assessment the school she claims the school ignored: https://t.co/sduuhBRooz . Runcie saved mtg time for himself to attack student’s credibility. https://t.co/tMMdY9XmI0
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 11, 2018
Many claim they want solutions while refusing to acknowledge the massive errors and oversight that, if attended to, would have altered or prevented that awful day.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 11, 2018
No one finds it troubling that an MSD teacher says they had to have their own security plan? That former secret service ran a risk assessment and was able to easily enter the school and place Post-Its on students to represent loss of life two months before the massacre?
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 11, 2018
Or that one of the assessment’s conclusions was for students to not spill into the hall during a fire alarm, instead wait until threat is confirmed and have a plan to exit into a known situation?
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 11, 2018
The school reportedly had a chunk of cash specifically for security that never went to use. Meanwhile Runcie, claimed he reduced district student arrests by simply not reporting them. Not reporting = 63% reduction according to that math.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 11, 2018
To get solutions you also have to identify what failed. Runcie’s policy has failed and teachers, students, parents are speaking out — but CNN, MSNBC has no microphones for them. Runcie wants no part of this discussion, in my opinion, because it may expose district’s liability.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 11, 2018
How many schools have similar policies? We can’t have a national discussion on this because anti-gun leaders refuse to acknowledge it, school officials want to hide it, and the anti-gun chattering class is too busy calling everyone whores and terrorists to discuss anything else.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 11, 2018
In the meantime, Preston is still keeping the heat on Runcie on Twitter; he tweeted a link to his Hill interview following the board meeting.
Whatever you fight, you strengthen. Stay focused on the integrity of your purpose. https://t.co/q7MsiaW4Yh
— Supt Runcie (@RobertwRuncie) April 5, 2018
You’re right Superintendent. You fought me tooth and nail in an attempt to silence us. Now my report is public and your incompetence is national news. https://t.co/Pgn2Sq4rGT https://t.co/HtMGF6PouI
— Kenneth Preston (@kennethrpreston) April 11, 2018
Scott Travis reports on education for the Sun-Sentinel:
Broward Supt @RobertwRuncie says at @browardschools board meeting “we are continuing to witness a significant amount of #fakenews related to #stonemandouglas. “Everyone wants to use it for some type of agenda.”
— Scott Travis (@smtravis) April 10, 2018
Broward Supt @RobertwRuncie acknowledges school bond program got off to late start but delays of single point of entry are unrelated to #StonemanDouglas tragedy. Says still on track to finish work in 7 years from passing in 2014. (That would be 2021).
— Scott Travis (@smtravis) April 10, 2018
Related:
Wanna see a grown man CRY?! Dana Loesch REKT CA Dem accusing her of attacking Parkland students https://t.co/lZKcid2IY4
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 27, 2018