School board chair cannot be serious about plaque

Karen Carpenter (left) with MTI chief Mary Cantrell at last February's dedication.

Karen Carpenter cannot be serious.
The chairwoman of the Manatee County School Board wants to replace a plaque --- a plaque! --- at Manatee Technical Institute's new campus on State Road 70.
Its cost? $3,200. Or $5,456 for a rush job.
Why?
We'll get to that in a second.
But there is no good reason to even be contemplating this financial foolishness.
Not when the school district over which she is supposed to be a steward has been hemorrhaging millions.
Not when 180 teachers have lost their  jobs.
Not when 96 district staff have lost their jobs.
Not when schools have been closed.
Karen Carpenter cannot be serious.
So what if the present plaque at MTI has former superintendent Tim McGonegal's name on it, even though the explosive revelations of financial mismanagment that rocked the school district last fall erupted on his watch and forced his resignation.
So what if all the names of the current school board --- Carpenter's included --- are not on it.
WHO CARES?!
Nobody in their ight mind, that's who.
Not when this school district is in such dire straits and new Superintendent Rick Mills is trying his darndest pull it off the rocks.
We're obsessing on a plaque?
As if our community needed one more reason to get rid of this school board.
Karen Carpenter cannot be serious.