PRIEST RIVER, Idaho — Branden Durst, the superintendent of West Bonner School District, says he's still in charge even after the Idaho State Department of Education says he's lacking the requirements to be certified.
Without that certification, the state will not pay Durst's $105,000 annual salary. That would have to come out of the district's general fund. On Wednesday night, parents asked Durst how he justifies collecting paychecks when the district is already strapped for cash.
Wednesday's West Bonner School Board meeting was abruptly canceled when trustee Troy Reinbold didn't show up. Voters recalled two other board members last August and there weren't enough present to conduct business.
“People have sometimes legitimate reasons for not being in meetings," Durst said. "Sometimes they don’t, and I don’t know.”
It would have been the first board meeting since the Idaho Department of Education determined Durst is unqualified to be a certified superintendent. But, Durst told KREM 2 he still is the superintendent.
"They don’t make the law," Durst said. "They aren’t the law. How many people could say that? That they don’t have to follow the laws of Idaho.”
Durst stuck around and took questions from angry citizens, who realize the district, not the state, will end up paying his six-figure salary. He claims he brings added value to struggling West Bonner.
“If I’m doing that, then the salary you are paying me is a pence to the savings you are going to have in the long run," Durst said.
“Mr. Durst is taking credit for hiring 32 people when we had 37 leave because he got hired," Priest River City Council member Ann Yount said. "That’s not credit he should be given.”
Yount hopes to fill one of the vacant school board positions.
“We have children we need to think of," Yount said. "Our school district is a mess and we need to get it repaired.”
Durst still thinks he can fix the district's budget and academic issues. But, many parents and teachers are not convinced.
“I came here to do the right things for the students in this district and I’m going to continue to do that," Durst said.
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