INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — One man has emerged as a lightning rod of controversy in the ongoing debate about the implementation of International Baccalaureate into Incline Village's public schools.

His name is John Eppolito, and he ardently maintains IB is not the right fit for Incline schools. Those who favor IB implementation, according to past Bonanza stories and opinion content, have developed a wealth of terms to describe him, including rabble-rouser, naysayer, leader of a vocal minority and, in some cases, a liar.

However, Eppolito continues his charge undeterred. He estimates he has committed more than 400 hours to researching IB and he carries a book the size of a dictionary laden with IB-related information.

As his public profile has increased, calls for accountability have increased along with it. The following is a look at some of his motivations for his position and his reactions to various criticisms.

Motivations

Eppolito is an Incline resident, a former educator, a current real estate agent and the father of four children, two of which will be students at Incline schools for the next 13 years. Eppolito said his children are the primary reason he takes such a passionate and aggressive approach to opposing IB.

“IB is not right for Incline Village, and that has been my argument all along,” said Eppolito during a recent interview. “IB is a fine liberal arts program and may work for larger schools, but it won't help students in Incline Village.”

Eppolito further said his primary contention with the IB process concerns a perceived lack of comprehensive and unbiased investigation coming out of the Incline Schools Reflective Task Force meetings last winter and spring.

“The district did not engage in fact-finding and instead they are intent on selling IB to us whether it's the right fit for IV or not,” he said.

Vocal minority

At a Tuesday, May 14, meeting at the Bonanza office, Eppolito arrived with four Incline residents — Willy Krusell, Margaret Martini, Julie Hoff and Dick Trossen — to demonstrate he is not the only local with serious concerns about the Washoe County School District's plans for Incline's schools.

Krusell said the fact a recent petition called “No IB in IV” — which can be accessed at www.petition.fm/petitions/noibiniv — has garnered more than 200 signatures as of this printing demonstrates that it is more than just a handful of residents who are opposed to the program.

“The school board will have a harder time backing (the district's) small minority theory now,” said Krusell in a written statement after the meeting.

However, Eppolito and Krusell said they will not make the names of those who signed the petition public, saying they were guaranteed anonymity prior to participation.

The IB controversy in Incline has garnered national attention, with unnamed individuals from other states — including Lisa McLoughlin, who oversees the anti-IB website truthaboutib.com — weighing in on the comment sections on the Bonanza website, leading some to claim not all signees are Incline residents.

Krusell — in an e-mail to the Bonanza dated Wednesday, May 12 — said 130 of the 183 individuals who signed the petition were Incline residents, about 71 percent. Krusell's numbers have not been confirmed because the names have not been released.

Facts vs. Suppositions

Eppolito is circulating a flier dubbed “Fact Sheet — IB Incline Village 5/7/2010 – John Eppolito,” which contains facts and supposition. A few of the statements include:

• At this point it looks like ToK class may have to be Monday nights.

• It appears JROTC kids will not be able to take the IB diploma because of scheduling.

• IB may negatively affect the sports program and the AVID program.

At the May 14 meeting, Eppolito admitted some statements in the list are suppositions, while also pointing out the majority of statements on the sheets are facts, based on extensive research.

However, the fact sheet does have other accuracy issues, as some statements apparently lack proper attribution. For example, it quotes the “admissions director for the University of Virginia” as saying: “If you are at an IB school and you are not going for the IB diploma, don't waste your time applying to UVA, or any other top-rated schools.”

The quote is derived from the Jan. 17, 2004, story “Fairfax ‘backlash' ousted IB program” in The Washington Times, which quotes E.J. Nell Hurley, who at the time was a mother of four daughters in Fairfax public schools in Fairfax, Va.

After repeated calls on Wednesday, May 15, to various UVA admissions staffers, no one could confirm the quote.

At the May 14 meeting, while Eppolito said he needs to be precise in dividing his written materials into facts and opinions, he deflects accusations that he lies, saying his whole goal is to present the truth and sift through what he feels is WCSD propaganda.

“I repeatedly asked the district to let me know if anything with the fact sheet is wrong,” he said. “I asked for input and I never got any.”