Just as we predicted in our last issue, many top Iredell-Statesville school system employees are actively campaigning for the school bond. Official school events have been used as forums to promote the bond (tax increase).

Teachers and other school employees should not feel pressured to support the bond, just as they should not feel pressured to support a candidate for office or a political party. School resources, such as office equipment and phone trees, should not be used to promote the bond or any other political issue.

Administrators, teachers, and other school employees are free to work for and express their views as citizens, but any political advocacy should be done on their own time and without using school resources. This freedom of expression should apply to opponents as well as supporters of the current bond issue.

We have heard from numerous school employees who are not happy with Superintendent Holliday’s administration. We have no idea what his future plans may be, but word is making the rounds that he will leave if the bond is defeated. It is possible that Holliday’s pro-bond campaigning will backfire.