Board takes no action on patron complaints
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
PRAIRIE GROVE - Board of Education members managed to remain stoic during their meeting on Monday throughout a series of public complaints levied against Superintendent Pete Bennett over his handling of personnel matters.
Upon listening to six people speak, board President Rick Reed told the crowd of nearly 350 patrons there was a process for addressing personnel complaints and concerns, and airing them publicly at the school board meeting wasn't it.
"It has to go through (Bennett's ) office," Reed said.
After listening to six people speak, the board adjourned to closed session to discuss personnel, which it was scheduled to do anyway to discuss two hirings and three resignations.
Some of the six speakers who aired concerns, in particular former board member Cheryl West and agriculture teacher David Hays, demanded "immediate "remedy the situation.
"This kind of treatment cannot be tolerated," Hays said.
The board took no immediate action against Bennett, but there was a noticeable change in tone when the board reconvened from the closed session more than three hours later.
Reed said the board would take the public's concerns "under advisement."
"We hear you, but you're just going to have to give us some time," he said.
Most of the complaints concerned Bennett's treatment of three employees - vocational career and former agriculture teacher Lanny Rice, athletic director Mike Green and central administration office employee Ann Dunham.
Rice attended the meeting but did not address the board, but he did grant an interview during the closed session.
Bennett sent him a letter on April 8 stating he was not renewing Rice's contract as it had been structured. The letter stated Rice could continue working for the district if he agreed to a reduction in the number of days worked, from 225 to 205, and in how the pay was rated.
The change would have reduced Rice's salary from $ 69, 095 to $ 57, 346.
Rice said he declined the change in the reduction of days and a request from Bennett that he continue teaching career orientation. According to Rice, when Bennett tried to present him with a follow-up offer later that month, he told Bennett he no longer wanted to work for him.
Both Green and Dunham declined to comment on their conflicts with Bennett.
Green's supporters alleged he was being asked to increase his teaching duties. He currently teaches two classes in addition to being athletic director.
Dunham was one of the six people who addressed the board, saying she wanted a grievance hearing to discuss the problem. Reed said he would get back to her on the process.
Asked to elaborate, Dunham said," Let's just leave it at that."
Teacher Jeanette Pearson also addressed the board, saying that she was asked by Bennett to reduce the number of days she works on her extended contract and take a new assignment at the high school.
Pearson said the extended contract was offered to her when she originally took the job as an incentive to work there, and she didn't see why she shouldn't still get one.
The standard teaching contract is 190 days.
One woman who attended the meeting said there are many people who support Bennett, but she said they weren't speaking out because of the timing of the meeting and fear of retribution.
She declined to give her name.
On Sunday morning, Bennett reported to the Washington County Sheriff's Office that a yard light was taken from his home, and he suspected it could have been someone unhappy with school district decisions.
None of the five personnel decisions acted upon after the closed session affected any of the employees mentioned dur ing the public comment section.
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