School Board Blues2004

The Onteora mascot struggle quickly became a national story with coverage in Newsweek Magazine as well as the New York Times. It was featured on CNN, in newspapers from coast to coast, and in articles on the internet - while the filmmakers found themselves right in the middle of it all. There are more than 14,000 school boards in the United States, and they are often called the heart of American democracy.



Co-producer, Meg Carey, was elected to the Onteora Board of Education in 1998. She anticipated a three-year term working to improve student achievement. Her husband, Tobe Carey, was videotaping the board meeting for local libraries and showings on public access TV when the Indian mascot fight broke out. For three years, Carey continued to record district events including the chaotic school board meetings, the politics surrounding the mascot issue and the community turmoil that followed.



During this time, anti-Semitic hate articles appeared on the internet, physical threats were made, an election-night shoving match occurred, tires were punctured, and an intense political struggle consumed the school board and the district. School Board Blues reveals all this and more in a local story with important national implications.