At the May 22nd meeting of Peoria Unified School District (PUSD), Member Rebecca Hill quoted a Bible verse that called for non-believers to be killed by drowning. On Thursday, our Executive Director confronted Hill about it during public comments. Hill’s comeback? Those were “God’s words,” not hers. Nevermind that quoting the Bible at a public meeting where students are present is illegal. This is a snapshot of how political actors like Hill view separation of church and state: it doesn’t exist, and even if it did, they don’t care. In their view, bring on a lawsuit—it will only serve their agenda to defund public schools. That’s why speaking at these meetings and contacting board members is more important than ever. Members David Sandoval, Melissa Ewing, and Bob Sorensen are doing a great job sticking to real district business. But they also need to do their part to call out board members who read scripture at the dais. Until that happens, we can expect more bad behavior, and the district can likely expect a costly lawsuit. If you’re in the district, give them a shout by clicking on their names above. Much more happened at the last meeting, including the recognition of yet another outgoing superintendent. This year alone, 24 superintendents have resigned, retired, or been fired. In a normal year, from January to June, that number would be closer to about ten. Read the unfiltered play-by-play of the last PUSD meeting on Substack. | 
