Independence School District had to release a statement after a staff member allegedly messaged a voter to not vote if they were not going to vote for school’s bond measure yesterday. A Facebook message was circulated online yesterday that appears to show Jessie Studebaker, a Special Education Teacher within the district, introduce herself to a voter as a committee member for the Independence school bond. Her message goes on to ask if the voter is for the bond and if they plan to vote. She says if the answer to those questions is no then they should not vote. The voter posted the message to social media, which brought significant criticism of Studebaker’s actions. The school district released a statement saying the personal message was not authorized by the district and did not reflect their position regarding voting in the election. They went on to say they have always valued and encouraged all eligible individuals to vote in an election regardless of their position of what is on the ballot. It is unclear if Studebaker faces any discipline. She previously was a teacher in the Wapsie Valley district.
