Same Animosity Remains on School Board

I just liked the headline.

New leaders elected, same animosity remains on OJR School Board
By: Laura Catalano, For the Spring-Ford Reporter 12/05/2008

The Owen J. Roberts School Board elected Edward Kerner as board president for 2009, at a series of three meetings Monday that were regularly interspersed by arguments.

Board member Debbie Bissland was named vice president.

The board voted 8-1 on both those appointments, with Barbara McMeekin casting the lone dissenting vote.

But later in the meeting the board sparred over several matters, including a decision not to accept a gift of fleece jackets presented by administrators. And outgoing President John Dutton read closing remarks that were heavily critical of the superintendent and served to highlight the growing rift between the board and administration.

The meeting was actually a series of three meetings that included the brief, final meeting with Dutton as president, a reorganization meeting during which the new president was elected, and a regular business meeting.

The first meeting began with Superintendent Myra Forrest acknowledging Dutton for his dedication and presenting him with a plaque to honor his year as president. She then acknowledged all school board members, in honor of January's School Director Recognition Month. The board does not meet again until the end of January.

The administration traditionally presents board members with a gift, and Forrest showed them fleece jackets that would be ordered for each member for the second year in a row.

Following that, Dutton gave his outgoing remarks. They provided a sharp contrast to Forrest's overtures of appreciation. About half of his brief statement was a condemnation of Forrest

"It is a year that no other president of the Owen J. Roberts School Board has ever had," Dutton said, reading from a prepared statement.

He noted that two board members had resigned, two replacements had been appointed and new lawyers had been hired. He then went on to blast a fellow board member and the superintendent.

"Another board member has consistently gone to the newspapers with confidential information that was discussed in executive sessions," he accused.

He laid blame on the superintendent, claiming she failed "to give the board all the information they needed to make the most informed decisions and the right choices." And he accused her of "stacking the meetings to try to intimidate the board into voting her way."

District teachers and administrators have regularly come to meetings and voiced support for Forrest and her recommendations. Dutton noted that when the board voted down her recommendations, Forrest often proposed them again.

"Dr. Forrest was under the mistaken impression that the board works for her," Dutton read. "It's just the opposite."

He concluded by saying, "I have always had the best interest of the students in my mind first and then the taxpayers."

Forrest, seated next to Dutton, made no comment on the remarks.

However, on Tuesday, Forrest made this statement: "Mr. Dutton's comments were unprofessional, appalling, and shocking, especially in the public forum in which they were made."

She insisted that "the comments were not consistent with the outstanding academic, athletic, and artistic achievements that the Owen J. Roberts School District has attained this year. It would be preferable that the leadership of the board work with administration to establish a communications protocol so we could continue to move forward in a positive direction."

Later, during the business meeting, McMeekin brought up the fleece jackets that had been offered to the board and suggested the board forego the gift and use the money "to hire a staff person or buy textbooks."

The board approved that motion with Eugene Endress, former head of the OJR Taxpayers Alliance, casting the only apparent negative vote. But immediately after the vote, Dutton reacted angrily to the decision.

"I'm going to freeze my a-- off this winter!" he said. "That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard."

Later Dutton said he was planning to cancel his reservation to a conference for school board members in April, stating "I'm not allowed to get a fleece, I'm not going to San Diego."

At the end of the meeting parent Karen Shimer approached the board, and reminded them that the district's Web site maintains that the board should "lead with respect."

"I think your hearts are in the right place," Shimer said, "But the impression you're making I don't think is one you want to make."