School Board Race Challenged Post Falls Republicans Ask Prosecutor To Scrutinize Fliers

Kootenai County’s Republican committee has asked the county prosecutor to investigate alleged unfairness in a Post Falls School Board race.

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee drafted a resolution calling for Bill Douglas to examine “grievous flaws and material problems with the integrity of the election process.”

The resolution stems from May’s school board election, in which the Ponderosa Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization printed fliers endorsing the incumbents using school materials. The fliers were distributed to elementary students to bring home to their parents.

“We’ll treat it like any other citizen complaint,” Douglas said of the Republican resolution.

He hopes to decide in about a week whether to investigate the election. He’ll rely heavily on an Idaho attorney general’s opinion in a similar case, in which the state found the use of school resources in an election was “less than prudent but not criminal,” Douglas said.

The state Department of Education Professional Standards Commission is currently investigating the fliers. The group is expected to rule this fall.

After the election, Post Falls School District officials created guidelines for distributing newsletters and fliers to students.

“I certainly disagree with the resolution,” Superintendent Dick Harris said. “It talks about grievous flaws. There were no irregularities or flaws in the election process.”

Dee Lawless, who lost the school board election to incumbent Donagene Turnbow 160-114, lodged a complaint with Douglas more than a month ago. Lawless said she is glad the Republican committee stands behind her.

“I have to applaud those people who realize this is an important issue,” she said.

Kootenai County Commissioner Ron Rankin sent a letter to Douglas with the resolution, urging him to investigate the matter.

“Whether the law was broken or not, the credibility of the district is suffering and that affects all of us whether we vote in the district or not,” Rankin wrote.

Mary Rutkowski, who lost the school board race to incumbent Ed Adamchak 221-140, joined Lawless in the complaint.

Last month, Adamchak was named chairman of the school board and Turnbow was elected vice-chairwoman.