Group Wants Blackfoot School Board Member Recalled

A group of Blackfoot School District 55 parents wants a recall election for a member of the school board. They group has collected the signatures needed to petition an election for Peter Lipovac.

The main petitioner said Lipovac violated district policy. On the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Shoshone-Bannock tribal member William Kniffin said the petition to recall Lipvac has nothing to do with agenda outside what Kniffin said was violation of policy.

“I found evidence that he traveled to an Indian Education Conference in October that he had no pre-approval from the school board,” said Kniffin.

Kniffin said not gaining preapproval for travel to the conference, held in New Mexico means Lipovac violated Board Policy 839. It states:

“The district will reimburse district employees reasonable travel expenses for travel required by the district to fulfill their job responsibilities, including attendance at conferences and workshops. Travel and the payment of expenses must be preapproved and related to the employee’s job responsibilities.”

Kniffin said in the petition, Lipovac did not have pre-approval for the travel. The petition said Lipovac charged the district $1,075.

But there are supporters of Lipovac who believe the move to recall the board member is motivated by other interests. In a phone-call to our station, Sherwin Racehorse said he believes the motivation behind the recall has more to do with Lipovac’s support of a new school on the Fort Hall reservation.

“We’re trying to open a charter school, a public charter school which basically is going to take enrollment from the Blackfoot School District and put it into this other school,” said Racehorse.

Racehorse was a founding member of the Chief Tahgee Elementary Academy board. Kniffin said as a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe and Fort Hall Reservation resident, he does not oppose a charter school on the reservation. He said the sole motivation behind the recall petition is to address what he said are board policy violations.

When asked about the policy violations, Racehorse said Policy 839 makes stipulations governing district “employees.” The policy does specify the word “employees,” but includes a section labeled,”Trustees.” That section reads:

“if a trustee is required to travel outside the district to fulfill his/her responsibilities as a trustee, reimbursement of travel expenses will be paid consistent with those allowed for district employees.”

Our station contacted Blackfoot District #55 for an interpretation of that policy, but our calls were not returned by air time. Superintendent Dr. Scott Crane did speak to our station briefly by phone this morning with no comment on the petition.

Calls to a phone number for Lipovac were also unreturned by air time. Shoshone-Bannock Tribe spokeswoman Randy’L Teton said Lipovac met with tribal council members on Monday at 3:30 pm. He was expected to explain his perspective on the allegations of the recall petition then. Our station is waiting for the outcome of that meeting.