Watching the school board discuss and comment regarding the audit of the bidding process and public comments.
Here are my observations:
Public Comments
Comments from two board members:
- Joe Quimby said to remove them for a few months for budget season.
- David Taylor said to limit public comments by NOT televising them although in favor of hearing all comments.
- David Taylor said that public comments are "corrosive, have ill fact-checking, make false accusations, are grandstanding, and political in nature"
Remarks on Bidding Audit
- JoAnn Portalupi said the public is "confused"
- Our Business Administrator has the 100% backing of the chair
- The annual financial audit verifies that the audit that the community did was without merit and basically false. The chair stated that the audit looks into these matters and nothing material really comes out of them each year.
- Jennifer Reif and Kim Clark asked that a discussion take place on this topic and it was not really recognized by the chair.
A group of citizens reviews public documents and finds widespread examples of fiscal mismanagement.
ReplyDeleteDavid Taylor, who has undoubtedly not examined those documents, attacks the credibility of those dedicated citzens rather than addressing the substance of the audit.
I ask you, whose remarks are "corrosive, have ill fact-checking, make false accusations, are grandstanding, and political in nature"?
"Our Business Administrator has the 100% backing of the chair."
ReplyDeleteBlaine Cox you are a lucky man. I would love to have a job where I can openly violate established policy, waste the public's money, and still get that kind of an "attaboy" from my boss!
The concerned citizens "reviewed the public documents". Is a "review of public documents" equal to a formal audit? I'm curious to know if these citizens are certified auditors. Do they have the experience and background to make the wide spread accusations that were made last night at the board meeting.
ReplyDeleteDoes attention need to be given to the bidding practices and money management within the district? Yes, in any successful business this should be reviewed by qualified business staff and qualified outside parties. Could their be room for improvement? I'm sure there is?
Is Blain Cox abusing his postition? I highly doubt it. Over the years he has worked in the district, he has proven to have a high level of integrity and has become well respected in the eyes of many community members. This small group of "concerned citizens" seems at times to be blinded by their cause. Every time I hear Mr. Cox speak at a school board meeting, I hear Mr. Cox talk about ways he is trying to save the district money. Our "concerned citizens" don't seem to hear that or commend him for it. Instead they use corrosive language to slander his name because they do not hear an immediate response to their questions.
The school board's plate is very, very full. There is a long list of items that do not reach the agenda because there just is not enough time to address everything in a thorough way at a 2-3 hour meeting. It has been stated at several meetings that the policy committee has been working on reviewing and finding ways to improve the bidding/contracting/spending procedures.
I'm also disappointed that these "concerned citizens" do not recognize the aggressive nature in which they are trying to have their concerns addressed. The language that is used in these blogs, during public comment, and in letters to the school board is aggressive, accusatory and yes, many community members find corrosive.
I would have an easier time appreciating the work of these "concerned citizens" if I had the feeling that they were trying to work with the school board rather than win a battle against it.
Over the years the board has proven itself to be extremely dedicated to the teachers and families in our district. Many members of the board are highly versed in education and understand the needs of teachers and students. This dedication, along with the hard work of our teachers and administrators is what gives the Oyster River School District its reputation as one of the strongest districts in the state.
I urge our "concerned citizens" to reflect on the tactics they have been using, and ask themselves how effective it has been in having their questions answered.
The school board would have more time to address their agenda if they created an audit/budget committee to work on fiscal issues. I do not understand why there is resistance to this concept.
ReplyDeleteThe recent post urging concerned citizens to look at the tactics is exactly the kind of counter points needed on this blog.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I strongly disagree with this message. If the board did a decent job of "selling itself" as noted by Jim Gaard last evening, then the public perception and approach might be different.
Also, the manner in which the public is treated when problems are presented seems to most always side with the administration. Make no mistake that we, the public, elect you, the board, to represent us...NOT the administration. You are not a rubber stamp and lame ducks for the district. You are stewards of our best interests as parents, grandparents, and taxpayers. You balance the administration and while seeking input from these individuals, are also tasked with making sure people are held accountable and information is transparent.
This argument about bidding and purchasing is fundamental to getting the needed programs enacted in the district. By not expressing interest and casting these hard-working citizens to the side, some members of the board (David) are simply showing disrespect and disregard for public input. So, why don't you not televise public comment. It serves to propel your interest in hiding behind your iron curtain anyway. Why should people watching DCAT at home see public comment? See no evil, hear no evil.
Finally, these individuals started off in early summer very kindly and urged the school district using ALL proper chains-of-command before escalating to this point. There is no reason that we, who pay the bills for this district, should be treated in such a manner. We are offering recommendations and insights to what is going on that would have gone unannounced if it wasn't for these volunteer efforts. It isn't accusations. It's about making this a better process. However, without the board's acknowledgement or public openness on the subject, you are subjecting us to no other option but to be aggressive.
Also, watch out for the Don Maynard group...you will be shocked at the next meeting.
It is time to ACT NOW!!!
A- Accountability
C - Communication
T - Transparency
It is interesting that you respond to my previous comments as if it were written by a school board member. I know it may be hard for you to believe, but many long standing community members appreciate the work of the school board. We want to see continued improvement and growth within our district, but would like to see it done in positive and cooperative spirit. Turning nasty in the face of a challenging situation, rarely obtains the results you are looking for.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that you feel cast off by certain board members, but having watched many of the board meetings, I just don't see it. Due to time constraints and procedures, every citizen's request cannot be granted on the spot or even within a six month period. Frankly I'm impressed with the restraint shown by the board members as they are read long winded accusations and opinions.
Negativity only breeds negativity and it certainly isn't an example I would want to set for my children.
I had hoped this blog site would be a positive way for community members to share facts and opinions, but it is becoming pretty clear that it is difficult for many to do so in a respectful manner, and it is easy to get sucked into the negativity. This will be my last post and I'll be searching for a more positive way to bring about change, and hopefully come across others who are looking to do so as well.
I just finished watching the meeting, and I am really concerned as a parent too. There is definitely a negative tone from both sides on this issue that is not productive.
ReplyDeleteThe board is insisting the study "is anything but fact. But I haven't heard why. And the study group is insisting that there is corruption involved, or at the least, lax practices that need to be sharpened.
I'm not sure a motion and discussion/vote could clear this up. Is it accurate as the board says that the policy committee is looking at it? If so, is there some way to talk to that committee and have a longer dialogue there? I really would just like to hear the board's side, but I'm having a hard time finding out what that is. That is probably why the people involved feel even more frustrated. I guess what I'm asking is what other avenues are open other than just a public comment at the board meeting?
While I agree that civility is an important consideration, it should not be paramount. What you are seeing on TV or at the meetings is an outpouring of honest emotion, on both sides. I, for one, am glad that some citizens are passionate enough about our childrens' schools to give freely of themselves to serve on the School Board. It's a tremendous commitment of energy and time. I respect that.
ReplyDeleteBut I, for one, am also happy that we have alert and engaged citizens who give freely of their time in order to improve things as they see them. Some members of the Board have sytematically attempted to avoid the bidding/purchasing issue, some have have misled the public, and the Chair has publicly backed certain employees of the administration even when it became clear that these employees were not only not following School District policy, but in fact are violating state law. (I am referring here to the administrators' refusal to comply with public document requests, which by state law they are required to fulfill.) So, yes, people are ticked off, and it shows. It cuts both ways: you have to give respect to get respect.
For example, I believe that last night we reached a new low when we saw David Taylor attack the audit and resulting report as "anything but fact."
Respectfully, I suggest that Mr. Taylor should the report before he casts aspersions on it and its authors. I have read it and I am familiar with the professional qualifications of the author, who is, in fact, a professional auditor. Some of its findings of fact ought to give anyone concerned about our children's education and/or our tax bills pause. So rather than unchecked rage and personal attacks, let's stick to facts:
1) Of the 160+ records that were required, by law, to be provided to the team, only 12 were actually produced.
2) Of the 12 contract files the team examined, none fulfilled the Board's existing bidding requirements.
3) The failure to adhere to the bidding requirements and other business practices puts public money at risk of mismangement, fraud, and graft.
Given these facts, it strikes me that the proper response of Board members would be to make an attempt to investigate and respond to the report, rather than to shoot the messenger. The proper response is not what we saw last night, and it's not what we have seen as this issue has been repeatedly brought before the Board all summer.
While we can all lament the lack of civility, the reality is that this is an adversarial process. People sometimes need to get loud and rude to compel others, especially entrenched bureaucracies, to respond to their grievances. And frankly, if you can't stand the heat, it's best to stay out of the kitchen.
The post above begs the question--while people have been bringing this to the Board's attention for months, why have they so desperately been trying to avoid a public discussion of the issue?
ReplyDeleteNow they are floating a plan to limit or eliminate public comment!
What are they hiding, and who are they trying to protect? It ain't you and me who have to pay the bills!
Citizens, please remember this is about the kids. I hope these audit issues can be worked out. I do not have any answers or ideas but I am hoping someone or some group can help our district. I have faith in our administrators. We can not let this negativity affect our teachers or students.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone on this blog cares about this district. I, too, hope we don't let our goals for improving this district block out the truly wonderful things that are happening here.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also think that when a citizen offers a suggestion to the superintendent or the board, they do so as involved, caring citizens. We are lucky that parents care about their school district. The alternative is a district where parents are uninvolved and don't care. Would that really be preferable? I guess the superintendent and the school board would prefer unquestioning support. We are an intelligent community and while we support our teachers and believe in our schools, we also are thinking people who may question authority on occasion. This is as it should be.
I moved here for the schools - for my kids. I volunteer in the schools and only want to improve what we have and appreciate the wonderful district we do have. I do resent, however, that if I ever suggest that we should do something different (change the grade scale, as an example), I am seen as hostile to teachers and administrators. It just makes me very, very sad.
I must agree with the previous post. This is all about the kids and keeping the young families in the district. It is also NOT about reducing our tax burden per se but using the budget we have by reallocating it to more useful means. The way in which this is done currently is not great. I would give the grade a C-.
ReplyDeleteAgain, the group that started this should be commended as being careful caring members of our community. We moved here as well because of the schools and the perception out there is that they are great. It is true to a degree but it is like an onion. You feel off a few layers and you find some surprises. What I hope is that these surprises get fixed. I don't mind spending money to get services. Really. I am not for just cut and slashing the budget. But, when you see that bidding and purchasing policies were not followed or cared about and that led to a wasting of our money, then people SHOULD get upset. It is only natural. Especially in the face of the obstructions that I witnessed at last week's board meeting on TV.
Now, we are talking about spending 340K per year for full day Kindergarten without a vote to the public. We all HOPE the board respectfully spends a lot of time discussing this and makes the right choice. Unfortunately, it is not encompassing a bigger picture discussing of other academic priorities. That is the key. Again, I don't mind spending money but what other wasting is being done in there and why not spend an additional 340K per year for AP classes or languages? I just don't get it. If they compared other options alongside Kindergarten, then that would be a worthwhile discussion. By making this topic mutually exclusive, it is elusive why they are doing this now.