METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PERRY TOWNSHIP
6548 Orinoco Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46227
(317) 789-3700
PUBLIC HEARING
To be held at the following location:
Southport High School Auditorium
971 E. Banta Road
Indianapolis, Indiana
Monday
December 18, 2006
6:30 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER – PRESIDENT SUSAN M. ADAMS
I. Year Round School Public Hearing    –      Mr. Brown
METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PERRY TOWNSHIP
6548 Orinoco Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46227
(317) 789-3700
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION*
CALL TO ORDER – PRESIDENT SUSAN M. ADAMS
- Recognition of Student – Mr. Oldham
- Recognition of Student – Mr. Nichols
- CONSENT AGENDA
- Approval of minutes of a regular meeting held on November 27, 2006
- Approval of November Financial Report
- Approval of Allowance of Vouchers
- Approval of Personnel Report
- Approval of Professional Travel Requests
- Report to Board on travel beyond 75 miles by certified staff
BUSINESS
- Approval of Resolution to Renovate Central Nine Career Center — Mr. Brown
- Approval of Resolution to Create Central Nine School Building Corporation — Mr. Brown
- Approval of Resolution to Sell Tax Anticipation Warrants for General Fund in 2007 — Mr. Brown
ITEMS OF INFORMATION REQUIRING ACTION
- Approval of Resolution to commit to New Tech High School for August 2008 Start-Up — Mr. Oldham
- Recommend approval of compensation for Interim Superintendent — Mrs. Adams
- Recommend approval for independent audit of the corporation — Mrs. Thompson
ITEMS OF INFORMATION NOT REQUIRING ACTION
- Review of Demographic Studies and Report on Facility Needs — Mr. Oldham    Â
COMMENTS AND CONCERNS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SUPERINTENDENT
Any concerns or items that individual Board members and/or Superintendent wish to discuss.
_______________________________
• A sign-up sheet is provided for those patrons desiring to address the Board about items on the evening’s agenda except personnel items. This sheet is available near the agenda on the table provided for Board material. The meeting site is fully accessible. Any person requiring further accommodation should contact the Superintendent, at the Corporation’s central office.
I continue to have concerns about a four member school board who refuses to consider their actions before they act. Once again last night, a member proposed a course of action (unscheduled audit) without considering the cost to the township. Mrs. Buffie showed much more knowledge about what was going on, what course of action was the proper first step and what potential costs might be and it was in no way her proposal. Thank goodness they reconsidered on this, although it’s interesting to note that it didn’t seem to be at the behest of Mr. Nichols. I was pleased with his recommendations, however.
The board seems to think they are above answering to concerned citizens in any way. What Dr. Williams has done to warrant removal from his job as superintendent and how they are going to pay for what they have done still has not been addressed. I also am beginning to have concerns about a school board president who is extremely rude to Terri Rice who represents our school teachers. No one at the last two meetings could see her responses to him as professional. Our teachers are distracted in the classrooms because of the course of action the school board has taken to remove the superintendent.
When our children act without thinking a situation through, they learn there are consequences. The four on the school board are not acknowledging their consequences. They refuse to see us as truly concerned citizens who have the right to hold them accountable. The election may be over, but they still answer to us. Getting elected is not carte blanche to proceed with your own course of action.
If Mrs. Thompson is so concerned about irregularities in the vouchers and desires an audit, why can’t she answer our questions about HER spending - a higher priced attorney with the sole purpose to advise them on how to remove a superintendent (misrepresented to a portion of the board), removal of a superintendent less than six months into a three year contract with the recommendation to buy out that same contract and then an unscheduled audit? All we want are answers!
If you filter out all the ranting and raving from both sides the important message is there.
I hear many people asking for information. “Tell us why you have done this, change our minds” But, I only hear one message from the board members “I have made up my mind and nothing you say will change it” This has been explicitly stated more than once at the past couple board meetings.
That is truly where the problems lie.
I also want to say thank you to Mr Bean for his first comment when he stepped up to the microphone.
I understand how hard it is to contain your emotions when people are refusing to listen to you, but that still does not call for some of the thing I heard last night. We need to rise above this level of bickering and be better than that. Speak calmly and intelligently or don’t speak. Don’t make the rest of us look bad.
As a side note, this is exactly why I haven’t spoken at the meetings. I know that I would probably lose my temper when that little bell went off. I refuse to let them get to me that way.
Walsh and Thompson jumped in with both feet, without first understanding how a school board functions, what their role is, etc. They just charge ahead - each with their own agenda -without consulting the administration for proper procedure. All Thompson had to do was talk with the acting supt. and request a meeting of the Finance Committee to review her concerns. On the other hand, the acting supt. should have talked with her when she requested the item be put on the agenda and suggested that they have a meeting prior to even taking the consideration of an outside audit to the board meeting. Mr. Nichols is in WAY over his head - he has a “deer in the headlights” look on his face at most meetings. He is not capable of running this school district properly.
Mrs. Walsh was totally improper when she read her comments at the end of the meeting. Whatever happened to her teenage son at PMHS last week couldn’t compare to the humiliation he must have felt when his mother chose to air their “dirty laundry” in public. I guess if she’s dissatisfied with her childrens’ education in Perry Township, she should withdraw them as Ms. Thompson and her companion did - then NO ONE on the school board would have children in our schools.
I attended my first school board meeting last night. I went in with an open mind despite not approving of the handling of Dr. Williams suspension. I had hoped that the citizens of Perry Township voicing their concerns would have been a factor in this board’s placing an emphasis on providing answers supported with facts. It wasn’t long before I was disappointed. My disappointment was not only with the board but with the conduct of some of those in attendance. As I listened and watched it was obvious immediatedly that Barb Thompson lacks the competence to be involved with any part of a finance committee. She was ill prepared and uninformed.
Next was Susan Adams and her facial expressions. This woman is a professional with a Master’s Degree? Master’s Degree aside…she’s a professional?? I would have expected that she would have had the decency and respect to show concern for the issues and questions brought to the board regardless of whether or not she was in agreement. I also find it peculiar that I signed up to speak and was checked off the list without being called. VERY PROFESSIONAL!
What is there to say about Nancy Walsh that hasn’t already been said? Her speech went off on a personal tangent that had no place being at a meeting such as this. She still proves herself clueless if she believes that she has a majority support from this community. It is very obvious that she allows her emotions to rule over good judgement and professional conduct.
Across the entire board I only saw an occassional hint of true leadership. Unfortunately, we need much more than the occassional appearance to be successful in conducting business and resolving hard problems. The majority of this board has given the perception that they are in charge and will do as they please. They are insecure enough in what they are doing that they lack the courage and honesty to admit that they might have made a mistake. This lack of true leadership is going to cost taxpayers of this township dearly.
A step in the right direction for this board would be to disclose the actual facts that support the need for Dr. Williams suspension an how they plan to absorb this cost into the current budget without punishing property owners. After all, it was their 7-0 vote to extend his contract for 3 years.
Lastly, what I would have said last night had Susan Adams been professional enough to allow me my turn was that “There is no one that is more responsible for my children’s education than me! The school and teachers are a factor but it is up to me to ensure that they are getting the education they need. This requires total involvement and constant communication with your children and their teachers. If a child drops out of school, the parent is to blame. They have failed. When this board uses statistics regarding drop-out rates, what they should be indicating is that we have a bunch of parents in this township that have failed their children. I blame the schools in very few exceptions for this. What this board implied with these flawed statistics is that Dr. Williams wasn’t doing his job. I would suggest that as board members that have these phenomenal and untouchable powers that you are to blame. You have made a mission out of destroying this township and the trust of it’s citizens regarding moving forward. Does this make you proud? I would ask that each of you rise above your false pride and egos and actually make the effort to do the right thing in bringing this community back together and moving towards success. If firing Dr. Williams is truly that answer then you need only to prove it to us. Just the facts, nothing less.
What I would LOVE to know is WHY Nancy Walsh decided to wear orange to the past board meeting??? She states that she IS taking back Perry schools??? Are you kidding me???? I think this is just another one of her “Look at me!” acts. Well, she got what she wanted…everyone is looking at her. Too bad beggars can’t be choosers…so although everyone may be looking at her, it’s not in a very positive way. I guess bad press is better than no press for her?
She’s doing it to spite us, her opposition.
GO ORANGE
If she wants to wear orange, then good for her. Is she supposed to donate to the cause if she’s to wear the sacred color? My family and I found it simply hilarious. It must be pretty tough being so cynical all the time, Megan. You must not like many people.
Oh come on, there you go again impersonating someone else. You’re really pushing it. Just sent a test message to the e-mail address you provided. If it bounces all of your comments will be deleted.
I have attended a few school board meetings now. I’m afraid. Let me tell you what I see. These are MY opinions (from left to right).
First, I see a woman who sits at that table and thinks she’s better than me. A woman who refuses to listen to anyone’s viewpoint that is not her own. A woman who enjoys her use of “the bell” and abuses her power.
Then I see a woman who doesn’t believe she can be wrong. If she thinks it, it must be true. A woman who thinks this whole saga revolves around her and what she wants. A woman who firmly believes that since she was elected she knows what’s right even if she is hearing that she is wrong from many of the people who she should be representing. A woman who is apparently enjoying the drama and listening to herself speak.
Third I see a woman who is timid, unsure of herself and easily manipulated. A woman who didn’t know what she was getting into, but is now firmly into it nonetheless. She is a woman who is controlled by “the father of her children” and the other board members.
Next there is a woman who really wants to make a difference. But, she has made a mistake and gone about this the wrong way. She’s a woman with very strong opinions and that is why she is there. But, she is also a woman who holds a grudge and refuses to leave things in the past.
Now you have a man that obviously has experience at what he is doing. He asks the right questions and seems to carefully consider the options. Here is a man that wants to do what is right and is trying to obtain all the information he can to make an informed decision.
Then you have another woman who is set in her opinion. She may not have enough information to make a decision, but has made it with the information she has. Right or wrong she sees that something is not right with the way things are happening and is not going to go down that road.
Last you have a very levelheaded woman. She is probably the calmest person there. She seems to truly listen to everything. It appears that the only reason she has voted the way she has is that she must vote one way or the other and there is something flawed with the other. This is a woman that all the members of the board respect.
Am I wrong it what I see? The question I’ve asked since the beginning is simple. Why? Why are you doing the things you are doing? What is your reason? Why don’t you care what I have to say? Why have you forgotten about my children? What about the children? What are you going to do now? What are you going to next? Why should I trust you? Why should I support you? Why don’t you support us?
This actually is not even about Dr Williams. This is about the school board. This is about the power they wield and how they use and abuse it. Yes, I’m afraid.
Anthony - I so agree with you! We placed our trust in them when they approved the contract. I would have placed my trust in them had the vote been split about the contract then. It’s the “about face,” lack of thinking policies through and unscheduled spending since then that I am calling them on the carpet for! This is ALL about the school board. If it’s time for a new superintendent, I expect it done in a logical manner, not back room politics. There’s a contract on the table - I expect it honored or for us to be able to understand why. I don’t think we’re asking too much for them to justify their actions and they refuse to do so with facts.
Um, is anyone aware that the board is no longer paying the schools bills?
They have put a freeze on paying vendors until the next board meeting on January 9th, 2007.
That means a LOT of people and companies are not happy as they didn’t get paid before Christmas and therefore didn’t get to buy gifts for their children, or pay their own bills. I know, as I am one who hasn’t been paid.
This freeze was made with NO NOTICE at all to the vendors, and from what I have learned from school officials, it is causing SERIOUS problems.
This is a completely outrageous action of the board to do, and I wonder if they are violating contracts by not paying people who have performed work and billed them properly.
I would not be surprised to see some lawsuits result from this.
It is definitly going to hurt the schools which is a terrible thing to happen due to the boards irresponsible behavior.
Walsh and Thompson found out that the School Board had been run improperly for several years. The School Board’s job is to oversee the Superintendant - not the other way around. Their so called “agenda” is to run the school system with a “thinking board” and not a “dummy board”. I witnessed at their first two board meetings Dr. Williams “slam dunking” major decisions in regards to the hiring of township administration without giving the board an opportunity to discuss or consult on the hirings. He expected them to swiftly vote yes without discussion or questions.
The “Finance Committee” sounds like a committee that may have been formed at some point, but has never really been used. It didn’t sound to me like the people on this committee knew they were on this committee. My father-in-law who is a retired insurance executive says that an independent audit is an absolute certainty when there is a change in leadership where there are questions of impropriety from previous administration.
Please provide evidence as to why you claim Dennis Nichols is not qualified to be interim Superintendant. I have spoken to Dennis Nichols and he is very capable and qualified. He is a very eloquent speaker and is very knowledgeable.
As far as Mrs. Walsh bringing up the incident with her son, you missed the entire point of her concern. Dr. Williams is on administrative leave. Mr. Nichols is the interim Superintendent. If information needed to go to someone, it should have been brought to Mr. Nichols attention and not Dr. Williams. Dr. Williams has been removed. He no longer has authority. He is on leave. It’s none of his business what is going on in the schools.
By not paying people on the same schedule they have in the past, the board is violating the wage laws of Indiana.
If you were being paid weekly, and suddenly and without warning were not paid, that is a violation of the state wage laws.
For someone to go from being paid weekly to waiting over a month to be paid is not acceptable nor legal.
The vendors payments ARE overdue as they expected payment to be made on the same schedule as had been established in the past.
By the way, I am referring to TEACHERS as well that are not being paid.
How is that helping our children? You would think paying teachers would be an important part of the Boards desire to provide quality education.
What is the Indiana Code citation of the law you accuse the Township of breaking?
Just curious.
I have asked this question a couple of times now and have not received a reply. Maybe there is no answer but here I go again:
Why does anyone not on the board think they have a right to hear all the details about why Dr. Williams was placed on leave? He is an employee, NOT an elected official. It’s really none of our business.
And I don’t understand why teachers should be “distracted in the classroom”. and/or the union are so upset. I can’t believe that any teacher whose primary focus is educating our children and who is doing their job to the best of their ability (and I’m sure this applies to most of them) has anything to worry about in terms of their positions in the township. I personally think that teachers should leave ALL of this either at home or in the teachers’ lounge; it has NO REASON to be discussed in the classrooms. I can’t help but think that if this was kept out of the classrooms there would not be quite so much of the ugliness between the students going on.
People, the township could have gotten through all this if both sides had not been so quick to turn things ugly. It’s time to move on.
Whoops, strike the “and/or the union are so upset.” That was edit that i forgot to delete…rats.
If “Walsh and Thompson found out that the school board has been run improperly for several years” (this is a quote from in response to the truth) can someone explain why they voted to elect president someone who had been part of the “improperly run board”?? The current president has been on the board for the past 2 years.
It would appear that the vp and secretary feel as if the current president was part of the “dummy board”.
One must pick their battles. Adams and Alexander were minority board members two years ago. One does not need a unanimous board to be considered a “dummy board” only a majority. Doug Williams worked very hard to keep his elected “dummy board” in place. If you look at past board history you will find that Williams board support was eroding before Thompson and Walsh were elected. Williams enlisted Lee Robbins to run for board again to shore up his “dummy board”. Robbins had been on previous boards. When Robbins was caught using Township school computers to give support to his campaigned it helped seal his fate in losing the election to Thompson. Even some past Williams supporters do not approve of cheating or the appearance of it. I suspect had Robbins not been caught Williams would still be pushing the buttons of the “dummy board” and Robbins might have been the board president. As it stands we have a “thinking” majority board now with three dissenting members of the original “dummy board”. Please do not take offense to the reference to “dummy board” as meaning that people are dumb. The dissenting board members as well as Robbins are far from dumb. “Dummy Board” is corporate lingo.
Did it ever occur to you that there was serious mirco-managing already happening? That the past board members were already violating bylaws? That they were not allowing the “paid” administrative staff to perform their duties according to protocol? Case in point: the demographic study. Ego’s were bruised when the the past board pres. & v.p. were not consulted when the township needed to have a demographic study done. Protocol dictates that administration does their homework,puts together a completed recommendation/proposal and presents it to the board to consider. Do you think it was responsible of Hicks, Berry, Adams and Alexander to vote down something of this magnatude, something that needed to be adressed ASAP, something that affects so many children? The township was forced to pay for an additional study, costing possibly $5000, to find out that we indeed are in great need, are in worse shape now, AND by delaying it a year, IT WILL COST MORE!
Adams and Alexander apparently carried over this “cancer” to this board with the help of past board members. The other three, in my opinion, are trying to follow their job description and not get involved where they are not qualified.
Obviously the “paid” adminstrative staff didn’t do their job. The board members should have been consulted and they weren’t. Whether the “paid” administrative staff felt the board wasn’t qualified or not doesn’t matter because the board is the boss of the “paid” administrative staff. It wasn’t the board’s fault, it was the “paid” administrative staff’s fault. Once again, the chain of command wasn’t being followed. It is the responsibility of the “paid” administrative staff to follow proper procedures. The “paid” administrative staff should be thankful that his boss didn’t fire him sooner.
Welcome to management where the school board thinks and doesn’t allow “slam dunking”. Do the assignment correctly next time and then the “paid” administrative staff won’t cost the township more money.
The “paid” board is making poor decisions that will cost me to “pay” more in taxes and my child will “pay” for it at school as fewer resources are available to assist with instruction. The “paid” Gang of Four will “pay” for their personal vendettas that are being “paid” for by the families of Perry Township. If you would “pay” more attention to the real issues and “pay” less attention to the Kool Aide drinking Gang of Four demagogues, you would know that to terminate a contract one must “show cause” or the party you claim to have fired will get “paid” in full. Since the “paid” administrator cannot be fired without cause and since the “paid” Gang of Four cannot show cause, the “paid” administrator is going to get “paid” and the citizens of Perry Township will foot the bill.
Why are you cutting off your nose to spite your face?
I have been dealing with the “real issues” for four years. I have been paying attention. Once again, if the “paid” administrative staff would do their job with their almost $1 Million budget that they have then the $2,000 a year Board members could do their job. I do apologize for remarking that the “paid” administrative staff was fired, because that is incorrect information. Reread my message - correct procedure was not being followed by the “paid” administrataive staff thus that is enough grounds to seek removal. The only problem I have is that the board has put him on “paid” leave and not “unpaid” leave. If the terms of his contract require the Township to honor the legal obligations associated with that contract, then so be it! The new thinking board can “adjust” the 2007 budget to offset the losses. I know the legal fees from my pending case for the past four years with the Township is coming from a capital building fund through the Township Insurance Carriers - must be paying some hefty insurance premiums. Maybe we can turn these losses over to the Township Insurance Carriers and consider them liability claims. With a $140 million budget expected for 2007, with good financial management, we as a Township can restructure to offset any losses incurred due to a positive change in “leadership”.