Wise SB and BOS look to be butting heads

[imported_Counts]

If the two Wise County boards can not do any better than this do the schools in Wise Co really have a chance?

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...8544&rfi=6

WISE - Claiming the board of supervisors overstepped its bounds, the county school board Tuesday decided to seek an opinion from the state attorney general on the supervisors' move to undertake its own examinations of the school system's capital improvement needs.
"I personally am of the opinion that this action has usurped the authority of the school board," District Two board member Milas Franks said. "It has, in effect, derailed any effort we might have made toward proceeding with capital improvement plans. It is our responsibility to let them know what our needs are, not the reverse."

Advertisement





Franks initiated action near the end of a board meeting that lasted more than five hours.





Board members requested, without a formal resolution, that Interim Superintendent Nolan Kilgore ask the Virginia School Board Association how the board should pursue the ruling.





In March, Wise County supervisors passed a lengthy resolution on the heels of former superintendent Mike Basham's recommendation to close three high schools at the end of this school year.





Within the resolution, the board of supervisors expressed its opposition to "the arbitrary closure of three Wise County high schools without long-term plans being disclosed and without alternative analysis being provided to the public for more complete discussion."





The resolution then directed County Administrator Glen "Skip" Skinner to "commence review of the long-term capital needs of the school system, bonding capabilities and requirements with an eye to various alternative solutions to school closing."





Tuesday night, Franks said, "The sovereignty of the two boards, at best, is clouded. We're in a dilemma."





School board chairman Margaret Craft read a piece of Virginia law stating that such a study would be the responsibility of the school board, not the board of supervisors.





"This is definitely a school board duty," Craft said. "That is the law, so they have overstepped their bounds. But since they control the purse strings, we have to handle this gingerly."





District Three board member Cecilia Robinette asked how long such a ruling might take, noting that a long wait could hold up the board's decision-making process. Capital projects were a point of contention earlier that night, as various board members argued over ways to spend $1.9 million of undesignated capital outlay funds that appeared in a draft budget.





"I'd like to go ahead and get started on some of these projects," Robinette said.





District Four board member Ann Gregory also wondered about how to handle the attorney general opinion.





"Who has standing to get a ruling from the attorney general?" Gregory asked. "Not just everybody can go get one," she continued, noting that the Virginia School Board Association may be able to provide assistance.





"The next time it comes up, my friends, we need to look very strongly at supporting fiscal responsibility for school boards," Gregory said.





Robinette asked why the board chairman and superintendent couldn't meet with the county administrator and board of supervisors chairman, Fred Luntsford. This way, she said, things possibly could be resolved without going to a higher level.





Franks said an independent party without ties to either board needs to examine the situation.





A meeting had already been set with Craft, Lunsford and Skinner to discuss relations between the boards, Craft said, but was canceled because of scheduling conflicts.





"We can still have a meeting if you say it's okay," Craft said. "We can talk about this and see where we are according to their resolution. We can ask if they really meant for them to do it, or for us to control it."





Franks maintained that a ruling from the state is needed.





District Four board member Kyle Fletcher suggested supervisors may have had good reason for adopting the resolution, given the recommendation for year-end school closings.





District Three board member Wendell Caldwell argued that, no matter the situation, the board of supervisors did not have the authority to take the action.





"I think they did," Fletcher said. "Was it legal to arbitrarily close three schools without asking the school board? When the superintendent says we're going to close three schools..."





Ann Gregory argued that Basham never said the schools would close, but rather made a recommendation.





Craft cut the discussion short by suggesting the interim superintendent write a letter to the school board association asking for assistance in dealing with this matter, despite a suggestion by Franks that the matter should be handled by the school board's attorney.




©Coalfield.com 2005

Actually time someone stepped in and said and did something.
I believe that is what the BOS is saying.
The SB had let former superintendent Basham ruin things. They say he said a proposal to close schools. Well with blue letter flying out to staff, that was more than a proposal, that was an action.
This board is getting a wake up call in my opinion.
That Wise County as a whole is fed up with their inability to do what is right.
Yet they voted to spend what about 10,000 more dollars to find a new school superintendent?
People are not as upset with the idea of consolidation anymore, it's more the inability of this board to run the schools, and operate the system as they should.
And frankly the lies that has all come out. All the no we don't or didn't to find out it was yes we did.
We now have paid for a 40,000 dollar study that even the company that recommended consolidation, could not even give direction on.
And now were looking at an independent firm to hire or recommend a school superintendent, at what i was told 50,000 dollars.
Then the SB has no clue why those who fund them have questions?
Seem pretty cut and dry to me. A lack of confidence in their ability, to handle matters.

[imported_burrhead]

I'd say they will have a hard time getting a qualified person. Who would want the headaches????????????? [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Well you have to live here and actually attend to see who caused the headaches.
Some members of this board and the former superintendent made most of their own headaches.
They forgot they are a body of and for the people.
They brought a lot on themselves. When you flat out lie to the citizens and treat them like they have no say so.
Your not going to get cooperation from them.
I've never seen anything work well where there is so much misinformation.
And anyone who has attended a meeting will tell you, some members of this board seem lost at times, and cannot stand to be questioned on anything.
Any time you question anything, it automatically becomes an insult to them? And most of the time it's because they honestly don't know or have no answers.
How simple would it be just to say i don't know, we don't know.
That is no insult to the SB, to me that is a lack of communication from the person who reports to them.
But most on the SB take it as your insulting them, when your not your just asking a simple question.

[imported_burrhead]

Sounds like our school board.

[imported_Counts]

Speaking of the DC school board I wonder what kind of backlash Pattons words of "If they don't like it they can leave" (regarding the pay proposal for DC teachers) will have.

Here is the link http://www.veaweteach.org/home_artic...ContentID=1743

[imported_Counts]

Very true the BOS may have been proding the SB into action and seeing that the BOS will be footing a majority of the bill I think they want a say in what happens next