INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Incline residents opposed to the implementation of International Baccalaureate in Incline schools delivered a petition to the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees during its Tuesday, Aug. 24, meeting.

Incline residents John Eppolito and Willy Krusell, two leaders of the anti-IB movement, collected more than 300 signatures on an online petition that states: “We the undersigned do not believe that IB is a good fit for Incline schools.”

According to analysis conducted by the Bonanza, 230 of the signatures are from Incline or North Shore residents, 38 people are from Reno/Sparks, nine are from diverse areas in the foothills of California and one is from Carson City; 34 individuals did not indicate their residence.

“The petition demonstrates that a lot of people realize IB is not a good fit for Incline schools,” Eppolito said.

Tom Bruno, the fundraising chair for International Baccalaureate Incline Village — a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for the implementation of IB — questioned the legitimacy of certain signatures on the petition.

According to Bruno, only 142 of the signatures were accrued from bona fide Incline residents. Bruno's standards for legitimacy include ownership of property in Incline Village or Crystal Bay and the listing of a home phone number on the petition.

Bruno listed 54 signatures from individuals without property in Incline or Crystal Bay or without a home telephone number, 90 from outside the school district, four duplicate signatures and one teacher that has since accepted IB implementation.

Krusell said Bruno's stipulations have taken the country back to colonial times.

“I think we eliminated the principle that you have to be a property owner in this country in order to have a say about 150 years ago,” Krusell said.

Krusell further noted that many important Incline stakeholders, including teachers and second homeowners, reside outside Incline borders.

Incline resident Kathryn Kelly said she listed her cell phone instead of her home phone and has been unfairly excluded from Bruno's count as a result.

She called the exclusion “really appalling” in an e-mail to the Bonanza.

District reaction

Cooper said some of the teachers who signed the petition in the spring of this year have since changed their stance on IB implementation.

“These teachers had so much on their plate last year that when they heard they had more professional development training added to their workload they became skeptical,” Cooper said. “The teachers were not opposed to the IB program. Once they received more information about how it would be implemented they've become committed to making this high school great by using IB as one tool in an expanded tool kit.”

Martinez said it's time for the community to move beyond the IB debate.

“IB has been so divisive in Incline,” said Martinez. “Frankly, IB is one component of a lot of different things going on in the schools. This is the time for people to be excited about the new leadership group at the high school.”

Both Martinez and Cooper said they welcome constructive criticism from the community, as it pushes the schools to become better, but they draw the line when anti-IB proponents such as Eppolito spread misinformation, which serves to confuse parents, students, residents and teachers.

“I have met with John (Eppolito),” said Cooper. “I consider him a critical friend. I am not against him. Without criticism, we can't improve.”