PINCONNING, Mich. - A Pinconning Area Schools board of education member said that "personal threats" have led him to resign, The Bay City Times reported.
Tom Hornacek, whose term would have expired in December 2010, would not specify the nature of the threats, but indicated they are connected to his actions as a board member, The Times reported. Hornacek is co-owner of the Pinny Food Center and Northwoods Wholesale Outlet in Pinconning, and told The Times that he has lost business among school employees.
"I've received threats against my family and business," said Hornacek. "Someone made it personal."
School districts must make cuts in order to balance budgets, but then are blamed for such things as staff reductions, larger class sizes and cutting extracurricular activities, Hornacek told The Times. The article did not detail cuts made in Pinconning.
"Anyone on a school board who has a retail job in the community, you can't do both because any decision you make is going to hurt somebody," Hornacek said, according to The Times. "Being a school board member in Michigan is the dirtiest job in America right now."
In 2007, Hornacek ran for the school board to help the school pass a $15 million bond to improve school facilities, The Times reported.
Pinconning Superintendent Darren Kroczaleski told The Times that Hornacek brought "professionalism and vision" to the school board.
SOURCE:
The Bay City Times, "Pinconning school board member: Threats forced him out," Dec. 16, 2009
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Are Schools Underfunded?" Nov. 23, 2009
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