OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — The Western Heights Board of Schooling employed their very own interim superintendent Thursday in defiance of stern warnings by the State Division of Schooling.
It was the newest growth in a busy week that began with the State Board of Schooling taking over the district for one yr to right severe monetary, academic, and employment issues.
The vote was to rent Kim Race, at present the assistant superintendent of the district, because the interim superintendent.
With their vote Thursday that adopted the recommendation of their authorized counsel, the Western Heights board insured that they might find yourself in court docket and their legal professionals would achieve extra billable hours.
The one board member that voted towards the movement mentioned that she was “nervous” concerning the authorized fallout of what they’d executed.
And one mum or dad mentioned that it was one other signal of “the nice outdated boy system” at work within the district.
Prison?
The lone vote towards the movement was Briana Flatley, the latest member of the board.
Earlier than the vote, she expressed reservations concerning the place the district could be placing itself in if it tried to nominate its personal alternate interim superintendent.
Flatley is the latest member of the board, having gained the seat in an election earlier in 2023. She earned 64% of the vote after a bruising race that pitted her towards the sitting board member, Darrell Raper.
She talked to reporters after the assembly had adjourned.
“I’m undoubtedly nervous that what simply occurred is illegitimate. I’m nervous about what the state’s going to do tomorrow so far as the vote,” mentioned Flatley. “We’re gonna see what occurs subsequent.”
“Good outdated boy system”
Free Press requested mum or dad Amy Boone after the assembly adjourned if she thought the district’s authorized counsel and others have been taking the correct course of their response to the state.
“This district is inundated within the good outdated boy system,” mentioned Boone. “Everybody is aware of everybody. Everybody will get jobs due to everybody else. Our complete administration constructing is filled with pals of somebody that already works right here.”
She was important of Board President Robert Everman saying that he had been on the board there for “about 25 years” and that he and former Superintendent Mannix Barnes had identified one another and labored in numerous organizations collectively for a few years.
Barnes was a member of the Western Heights Board of Schooling when he was employed by that very same board to turn out to be the Superintendent regardless that he had no schooling management in his work historical past.
The final two years have been fraught with employees and mum or dad conflicts and had resulted in an exodus of a number of the district’s most skilled lecturers. And, mother and father have been transferring their youngsters out of the district in important numbers.
Although the district was on probation, the board voted on the finish of June to resume Barnes’ contract for 3 extra years and provides him a $25,000 “efficiency” bonus. The legal responsibility to the taxpayers of Oklahoma for that one transfer alone is available in at round $1 million {dollars}.
Subject of authority
Some information experiences have mentioned that the district now has two superintendents however there can solely be one that’s authorized.
The difficulty is whether or not the state Board of Schooling has the authorized authority to take over the district on the stage of appointing an interim superintendent for the district.
The State Board of Schooling voted Monday to proceed the college district’s probation for one yr and to intervene instantly within the district’s operations.
An interim superintendent, Monty Guthrie was appointed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Pleasure Hofmeister mid-week. Guthrie is at present within the administration on the State Division of Schooling.
The place of the State Board of Schooling in taking up Western Heights for a yr is to right issues with monetary operations involving tens of millions in state taxpayer {dollars} and mismanagement of the district.
State Auditor and Inspector Cyndi Byrd will do a forensic audit of the monetary operations of the district beginning inside a couple of days. There isn’t a query about her authority to do the audit which might result in civil and legal fees for former district directors.
Lawyer urges defiance
Western Heights’ authorized counsel, Jerry Colclazier, publicly took the place Thursday night time earlier than the vote that there are not any statutes that permit the State Board of Schooling to nominate an interim superintendent.
Emphasizing that Western Heights is an “impartial faculty district,” he inspired the board members to not be involved concerning the warnings that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Pleasure Hofmeister had despatched to the district earlier within the week.
However, the authority that the State Board of Schooling has over native faculty districts has been established within the Legislature and within the courts for over 100 years of Oklahoma historical past.
And, the elected place of State Superintendent of Public Instruction was established by Article Six of the unique Oklahoma Structure in 1907.
Since public faculty districts depend upon state taxpayers for his or her main funding for operations, the state claims the correct to audit and self-discipline faculty districts that violate legal guidelines and guidelines for totally clear and public operations.
Colclazier has been the authorized counsel for Western Heights for nicely over a decade.
He has a historical past of encouraging that district’s board to be legally combative and take the State Division of Schooling to court docket.
In reality, Colclazier has a protracted historical past of being at severe odds with the State of Oklahoma. After prolonged proceedings for “oppression in workplace” and different judicial violations, he was removed as a district decide in Seminole County in 2002 and barred from ever being a decide within the state once more.
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Final Up to date July 16, 2023, 10:31 AM by Brett Dickerson – Editor
The put up Western Heights Board of Ed defies State order, votes to hire alt supt appeared first on Oklahoma City Free Press.
