LETTER: School’s actions show ‘disrespect, dishonesty’

The rural western North Dakota landscape like its people is something precious; a rare gem within the Midwest. Its sculpted valleys and buttes appear seamlessly held in place betwe

en the endless sky and plains. Homesteads blanket the region with the fabric of descendants from those who dared to tame the unyielding badlands. Those who sought the challenge and the lineage thereafter have survived, perhaps even thrived, given the support of the larger community. The connection to one’s community is a significant factor in why citizens and families chose and choose to stay on this rural land. Whether the 4-H Club, American Legion, or local parishioners are in need of support, it rains down in abundance. When someone falls ill, help will follow.

Luke Kilzer, my three-year-old grandson from Hettinger, great grandson of the late Leonard and Clara Fischer (who lived their entire lives in Bowman County), is one such example. Luke has just recently been diagnosed with acute leukemia and is presently undergoing chemotherapy at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital. The outpouring of support through a variety of benefits, some hosted by complete strangers, speaks to the gracious decency of rural North Dakotans, somehow we all indirectly know one another. I grew up in the rural countryside of Rhame with 13 siblings, everyone knew the Fischer family. Nine of the 14 siblings stayed in rural ND and raised their families in much the same way, contributing 88 children and grandchildren who have either graduated from or are presently attending the local school system of Rhame and Bowman. These 88 do not even include Leonard and Clara’s siblings who mostly all settled in Bowman County and have their own descendants attending this school system as well.

I was recently disheartened when the Administrators of the Rhame and Bowman grade school, rejected a request to distribute a flyer to all the students for a tee-shirt fundraiser that was being held for Luke and his family. The principal’s response to the organizer of the fundraiser was that there really aren’t that many Fischers in the school system, I was shocked, to say the least, by such a disingenuous and disrespectful response. There are currently 37 students in the Rhame/Bowman schools who belong to my nieces and nephews, which is not an insignificant number. These children are all cousins to Luke’s mother, Maria Fischer Kilzer. This connection to the community was explained to the elementary principal by the organizer of the fundraiser but to no avail. There was no monetary or time commitment needed from the faculty and/or staff and it was explained to her that the schools of Hettinger, Regent, Scranton and Mott all participated in the distribution of flyers and hosted separate fundraisers, no questions asked. From what I understand they were happy to participate and allow their students the option of placing an order for one of these cute T-shirts to help support this family.

This example shows a disrespectful if not dishonest school administration. Behavior such as this erodes the values that have prevailed in this area for generations. If our children are not given the opportunity to support one another with the freedom of their own choices we have done a great disservice to our future and the faith, integrity and grit that have shaped us. Let our character not be as thin as our soil but as steadfast as our bountiful history of unwavering support for our family and neighbors.

Bernie Fischer, Bismarck