Parents, school districts furious over political fliers

Students bring home flyers and brochures for almost everything nowadays, but one particular flyer has been causing concern in high schools around the area.

Teachers, administrators and parents said the content of a flyer that was passed around schools is inappropriate for school grounds.

The flyers are political in nature and school leaders said their property should remain non-partisan.

“I’m not happy. I’m very angry about it,” said Tricia Blackburn, a local mom.

Blackburn said when her daughter came home from school with one of these flyers, she knew it was wrong.

“She was pretty upset about it. She didn’t think that should be happening at school,” said Blackburn.

And administrators said it shouldn’t. The flyers advertise employment for a political call center and were distributed on school grounds in Idaho Falls, Rexburg, and Rigby without approval.

“It looks like the organization used our students to distribute it, against school policy,” said Margaret Wimborne, communication coordinator for Idaho Falls School District 91.

Americans For Prosperity are the ones behind the flyers. A representative from the group said they did give flyers to students off school property.

Today, AFP released a statement saying students broke the rules by bringing them on campus and will remind them not to do that in the future.

“We won’t approve any kind of flyers or posters that are political in nature or that are solicitations for commercial purposes or just not appropriate in general for a school setting.”

Administrators said once they became aware the flyers were being handed out, staff responded quickly.

“They took immediate action. They moved to try and collect the flyers if they saw them and discarded them because they hadn’t been approved for distribution,” said Wimborne.

“I think an apology is needed to all parents in the districts and we can go from there,” said Blackburn.

According to school policy all flyers, posters and brochures must be approved by the district before being distributed or placed on school grounds.

Students have to follow that rule as well.

To view District 91’s school policy on solicited material, visit http://www.d91.k12.id.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=282&Itemid=53 under section 505.0.