Anti-Charter School Signs Mysteriously Disappearing

Who is the sign swiper?

Dozens of portable roadside signs that profess opposition to a new public charter school in Novato have been stolen in the past week. The signs say "Get Informed. Tell the Board No New Charter School."

The group that placed them all over town doesn't know who the perpetrators are but has an idea it might be someone who would like to see the proposed North Bay Academy be approved by the Novato Unified School District on Dec. 18.

The Save Our Novato Schools group opposes the efforts of the North Bay Educational Foundation to create a new public charter school for kids from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at a site to be determined later if the school board approves the petition. The foundation plans to appeal to the Marin County Office of Education if the bid is denied by Novato trustees. (NUSD is to present its staff report on the issue at a board meeting at 6:15 p.m. Dec. 11). 

SONS co-founder Ross Ingels said dozens of signs approximately 2 foot wide and 1 foot tall were taken from locations all over the city. He said put up about 30 of them last Saturday and they were all gone by Sunday morning.

"Because of how many disappeared at the same time, we know it was a concerted effort," said Ingels, who noted that the sign stealer(s) would've had to act at the height of last weekend's torrential downpour.

Robert Verhoeff, a co-founder of the North Bay Educational Foundation, said there are two SONS signs in a neighbor's yard right across the street from his house.

"I know nothing about this and I don't know anybody associated with our effort who does," he said.

SONS bought about 100 signs and originally placed some of them in locations that were not approved by city ordinance. A complaint was filed and SONS relocated the signs, Ingels said.

"We're disappointed, but it is what it is," he said. "We kind of expected it was going to happen. ... Now we have a lot of them on private property. It'll be interesting to see what happens."

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