BOE discusses public participation changes

At the request of Interim Superintendent Jimmy Baker, the Enterprise Board of Education discussed the process by which members of the community address the board during a regular meeting Aug. 27.

Baker said he’d been to several events lately and despite the success of Enterprise City Schools, a majority of his colleagues from around the state are only commenting on hostility and division displayed at recent board meetings.

Those hostile meetings were the result of recent allegations of board-member misconduct, which are believed to have led to the resignation of former superintendent Aaron Milner.

“When we participate in activities that create a negative impression about Enterprise, it hurts every kid in the system, every certified professional and every system employee,” Baker said. “We’re not struggling because of our school performance. We’re struggling to deal with our image.”

Baker said he encourages residents to address their concerns with the board, but to refrain from doing so in the manner that has been seen recently.

Baker warned that continuing to do so could harm both the school system and the Enterprise community.

“It isn’t helping anyone,” Baker said. “We don’t want the school system to be used as a political ploy, but we also have to survive this and move forward. I came here with the purpose of trying to help Enterprise City Schools.” 

Baker also discussed possibly changing the way the public addresses the board by applying a current board policy, certain portions of which he claims have been ignored for some time.

Interim Board Attorney Roger Bates said the Alabama Open Meetings Act doesn’t permit public participation in meetings by itself, but board policy 2.22 allows and encourages public participation in meetings.

“It has set forth some criteria and a process which to follow,” Bates said. “It simply requires someone to contact the superintendent’s office prior to board meetings and present the business they choose to bring before the board.”

Bates said those requests are presented before the board and are then voted on.

He also said, as is common in most meetings, the board may set reasonable times and a manner in which presentations may be made.

Bates said the circumstances the last few months haven’t been brought to the community’s attention before and it’s obvious the community is concerned.

“However, it’s also very evident if you go back and review the minutes back to June that these issues have been addressed in great detail,” he said. “(This is the way to) address and deal with the business at hand.”

The board took no action regarding the issue, as what was discussed is already in the currently policy manual. 

Former board vice president Joe Paul Stewart addressed the board and said it has been a long-standing tradition to give the public an opportunity to be placed on the agenda at the beginning of each meeting, which Stewart said the board had recently failed to do.

Stewart also questioned board president Ross Cotter about board policy 3.22-6, which states, “The superintendent shall have right of initiative of professional decisions and matters pertaining personnel, purchase of supplies, course of study, student activities, building programs and the budget.”

Stewart said the policy was originally added after Cotter had tried to involve himself with a personnel matter during his previous terms on the board.

“Superintendent Jack Rutland recommended a personnel matter contrary to what Mr. Cotter wanted. Subsequently, Mr. Cotter tried to have him fired,” Stewart said.

Stewart said those actions led the board attorney at the time to add section 3.22-6 to the policy manual, to give the superintendent distinct authority in matters of school personnel.

Several former employees and board members have accused Cotter of “meddling in personnel matters” recently.

Though those claims have yet to be proven, Milner cited such behavior as one of the reasons for his resignation during a June meeting.

Stewart went to express concern over the recent salary increases awarded to four certified support personnel members and called the timing questionable.

“When (Mark) Jipson and I served as board members, we saw strong resistance to an increase in Dr. Milner’s salary, who was in his third term,” Stewart said. “He was among the lowest paid in the state based on the size of the school system.”

He also said the difference in Baker’s interim salary and Milner’s former salary is greater than members of the board have suggested in previous meetings.

Baker said Stewart’s claims were exaggerated and inaccurate because Milner’s base salary, which Stewart was comparing, doesn’t include his insurance, healthcare and other expenses.

Check southeastsun.com later in the week for video footage from the meeting.