LEE — Oyster River School Board Chair Henry Brackett didn't prematurely inform town selectmen that the School Board was forming an audit committee, according to recently corrected minutes from the May 10 meeting.
Brackett's appearance at the May 10 Board of Selectmen meeting drew the ire of former School Board Chair Mark Townsend, who had multiple concerns about Brackett's appearance at the meeting.
One of his main concerns was the fact that Brackett apparently told selectmen the school board would be forming an audit committee — nine days before the board voted to do so.
The initial draft of the May 10 meeting minutes reflects just that.
"Mr. Brackett announces an Audit committee will be formed," the meeting minutes state.
However, Town Secretary Dawn Hayes submitted a correction to those meeting minutes during the June 14 selectmen meeting.
According to the correction Brackett's exact words during the May 10 meeting were, "Right now we are talking about and hopefully finalizing about an audit committee."
Town Administrator Diane Guimond said the correction was made after Brackett came into the Town Hall and asked that the minutes be reviewed.
"I think it was a result of what was going on at the School Board, he wanted the minutes to be checked for the wording," Guimond said.
Guimond said the error in the minutes was caught after staff listened to a recording of the meeting. She said it's unfortunate there was an error in the minutes, but noted the minutes are only meant to be a summary of the meeting and the public is always welcome to have the minutes double checked.
"It's the nature of the beast," she said. "We reviewed the minutes and they were amended to reflect what was said."
Brackett appearance at the May 10 meeting set off a ripple effect that culminated with an uncomfortable School Board meeting on June 2.
Townsend had other concerns about Brackett's appearance at the May 10 selectmen's meeting including Brackett discussing school board business with selectmen without the instruction of the school board and challenging board operations to selectmen.
He brought up these concerns and others about the board in a late May e-mail where he sought legal opinions about Brackett's meeting with selectmen from board attorney Matt Upton and Barrett Christina, staff attorney for the New Hampshire School Boards Association.
The request for legal advice later turned into an e-mail chain where Townsend made allegations against other board members, causing board members to take offense when the e-mails were discussed at the June 2 School Board meeting.
Townsend resigned from the board on June 7 and Brackett was elected board chair over a week later.
Townsend got caught lying and paid the price.
ReplyDeleteBut it was Colter who sent him on that fool's errand. When does he come to confession?
The public should accept nothing less than a full examination of this tortuous issue.
ReplyDeleteWho pays?
Students, employees, and tax payers are paying for this corruption; bottom-feeding bastards who pass judgment without sufficient information.
I'm willing to wait to pass judgement because we don't, as yet, have sufficient information from Mark or Howard about what really happened.
ReplyDeleteI'll give Mark and Howard the benefit of the doubt, which is something they didn't give Henry.
When Henry said the original minutes of the Lee town meeting didn't accurately reflect what he said, they should have believed him.
So why didn't they?
I know what I think happened, but I don't know...yet.
I'd love to give Mark and Howard the opportunity to clear the air, which is, from all appearances, an opportunity they never gave Henry.
The superintendent needs to deal with this openly so we can put it behind us and get back to the business of improving our schools for our kids.
I agree with the above poster, to a degree. I, too, would like to hear an explanation, but I'm not so willing to give our Superintendent the benefit of the doubt when evidence so clearly points to his acting improperly.
ReplyDeleteOur Superintendent needs to clear the air, both with the Board and with the public, by making a full explanation of his actions during this episode. He remains employed by the District and should be accountable for his actions as an employee.
The Board chair, on the other hand, made his statement by resigning. We can make of that what we will, but he is again a private citizen and has no further obligation to explain himself, either to the Board or the public.
As it stands, it looks like our Superintendent attempted to stir up a controversy in order to weaken or even cause the removal of a Board member who has long been a critic of the administration. The Board chair then picked up the ball and ran with it, with disastrous results for him personally.
The reasoning behind Mr. Townsend's actions may forever remain a mystery, but another key question remains: why would our Superintendent insert himself into the internal affirs of our elected officials? I believe it was because he perceived Mr. Brackett as "the enemy" and was making an attempt to destroy him.
With that in mind, I submit the following: Mr. Colter, your meddling in the affairs of the elected representatives of the people (who also happen to be your direct supervisors) gives the appearance of impropriety, even insubordination.
This is a most serious matter. As a member of the public, with Mr. Brackett as my duly elected representative on the School Board, I feel strongly that your actions represent an attempt to interfere not just with one elected official, but with the will of the people of this District as expressed at the ballot box. That is a violation of the civil rights of every citizen of the three towns of this District.
In fairness to you, I realize that with this line of reasoning I am begging a number of questions, but if you have an alternative explanation for why you acted as you did, I would like to hear it.
The people of this District await your answer.
Water under the bridge. TIme to move on in the interest of the children.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, this was a Fosters article. Info:
ReplyDeleteBy AARON SANBORN
asanborn@fosters.com
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Could not disagree more with the "water under the bridge" comment!
ReplyDeleteWhat did Colter do, when did he do it, and why? So long as he is an employee of this District we have a right to know!
"Time to move on" is only in the interest of the Superintendent and the spineless lackeys on the Board who cover up for him!
Colter needs to come clean! If our elected officals had any balls that'd be demanding an explanation!!
It serves NOBODY to have a Superintendent who
is actively undermining his superiors. It is in the interest of the children AND every taxpayer in the District that we determine whether he is fit to serve, or a crook!
If the superintendent engaged in a fireable offense it can certainly be investigated by the district and dealt with appropriately.
ReplyDeleteShort of that, it's in the best interest of the students and community at large to simply let the matter go.
Most if not all of the outrage seems to be built on a foundation of innuendo ("crook"?), suspicion and back-seat driving.
I don't understand the vendetta some seem to have, but a more mature approach is clearly in the best interest of the district and of the community at large.
I'm not trying to get anyone fired or force anyone to resign. What I want from this episode is very simple:
ReplyDeleteI want the Board and the Superintendent to establish a very bright line as to who is whose boss.
As I understand it, the Board is the Superintendent's boss. If I'm mistaken, and Colter is the Board's boss, then I stand corrected and can see at least some justification for his involvement in this unfortunate episode with Henry and the Lee Town minutes.
Short of that, I don't see how Colter should have been involved with it at all. It was an internal matter for the board to address without him. I'm open to an explanation if I'm wrong.
It is time to replace Colter.
ReplyDeleteOn 5/27/2010 Mark sent an e-mail to Attorney Upton and Howard Colter and towards the end, he stated:
ReplyDelete“Howard has asked that I direct this to you and we’d like to discuss prior to our next board meeting.”
He also stated that Henry was “asking anyone that had questions to talk to him. The problem is we have an Agenda item for our school board 6/2 meeting to discuss how board members communicate with the towns. Henry knows this is an agenda item and yet still opens private discussion (as board vice-chair) prior to our meeting.”
He also stated:
“I have sent an email to the board asking them to disregard Henry’s open to discuss as it would violate our open meeting laws. This is a topic (not Henry’s particular actions, but they will be added to that discussion) for the 6/2/10 meeting. We cannot discuss it prior.”
Why wouldn’t they call for an emergency nonpublic meeting?
Townsend and Colter did not seem interested in hearing Henry’s version of what happened at the Lee meeting. They were setting the stage to publically humiliate him and even inviting Attorney Upton to the party. Townsend resigned and Colter should have to answer to the community. His behavior speaks to his professional integrity and calls his ability to lead our children into question.
A very small and dwindling handful of vocal residents might still have a bee in their collective bonnet about the superintendent, but for the most part the matter has been laid to rest.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wish those vocal residents (by which I really mean one or two irritated bloggers) could concentrate on constructive suggestions rather than sour bashing.
The water under the bridge comment is upsetting. How can one go on without knowing the truth behind the scenes. This DOES affect our children. This DOES affect our schools. This DOES affect our trust in personnel. While some might call this bashing, people are entitled to their comments/opinions. Just turning a blind eye to it isn't going to ensure something like this won't happen again. It needs to be investigated further. The truth should be told.
ReplyDeleteAlso I was happy to see that Henry was cleared of what people "thought" he said at the meeting. He did not overstep his boundaries. This whole premise was started from Mark Townsend and Mr. Colter and THEY did not investigate what really happened. People are too ready to jump the gun without getting the facts. I personally would love to have the facts at hand. THEN I and many others could move on. I still don't understand how someone states "water under the bridge, move on." Let's just sweep the dirt under the rug it what that says to me.
As a resident of Lee, I have watched the horrid situation within our school district's administration for some time involving both Business Manager Cox and Superintendent Colter. Thank heavens Mr. Cox has chosen to leave our district. His secretive practices and inept financial management have done much to harm our district's reputation within the community. Superintendent Colter's intimidating practices and bullying, as well as his blatant disregard for the right to know law, lead many of my friends and I to conclude that he should do the honorable thing and resign. His time is past.
ReplyDeleteI wholheartedly agree with this past comment! Colter and Cox have been destructive forces for our school system. As a parent of two children, one elementary and one middle school from Lee, we have been afraid to express our views for fear of retribution by the school administration. It is time for Superindendent Colter to resign. The other major problem is school board member Portalupi who works tirelessly to support them and cover up their misdeeds.
ReplyDeleteYou said it, and for all of this talk on the school board of being transparent, what ever happened to the last two budget meetings! And where is the budget committee??????
ReplyDeleteI guess I just can't see a swath of anonymous calls for a person's resignation in resulting in much of anything. It seems like an exercise in futility.
ReplyDeleteFor all anyone knows, all these complaints are coming from the superintendent's neighbor who is upset by the way he parks his car or something similarly petty and personal.
Assuming for the moment that there are actually a few truly aggrieved parties, they should have the courage of their convictions and call for the man's resignation at the next public meeting.
Anything else is just self-satisfying hot air that boarders on cowardice.
Seriously.
Hey blogger above, thanks for signing your names as you attack others. The attacks are a way to divert attention. Parents have a valid fear, and others who question the administration in the district are attacked. It is no wonder people fear signing their names.
ReplyDeleteGet over the lack of names, and get onto points that matter. Signed, ORHS watchdog.
"ORHS watchdog" appears to be rationalizing anonymous attacks on a public figure while making excuses for not taking the complaints public.
ReplyDeleteIf there was anything to the complaints, certainly more than one person would have the courage to face the man they employ in public rather than citing some bizarre "parents are attacked" nonsense.
At the end of the day, you get the administration you deserve. Inflating your self esteem by anonymously tearing a public figure down on a blog is pathetic.
I mean, honestly...
The complaints have been made public. People show up to board meetings, write letters, and get no response. We do not deserve this administion, we deserve much, much better. This is why we try and try and try and try to begin conversations of substance. I have written letters, met with board members, and all I have ever gotten is torn down and made out to be a trouble maker. I ask questions that deserve an answer, and I am met with resistance and block, and attacks. Why? Simply because of the protection fo the status quo.
ReplyDeleteI am not trying to tear down a public figure, I am trying to figure out why we still don't have programs other schools do such as foreign language in elementary schools. Why do we still not have a track? Why do we still not have computers in every class room? Why is our budget so out of control, yet my sons teacher ran out of crayons this year? Something is wrong, we ask questions, and yes we do not sign our name here because we see what happens when you do. I have seen citizens who sign attacked, and torn down and I do not want my family to be open to such attacks.
If we all stopped the attacks, and allowed questions to be asked, we might actually get somewhere. My son does deserve better than Mr. Colter, who simply does not seem to care an ounce about what is best for him.
We get the administration we deserve? No, we got the administration that JoAnn P. selected. And the second blogger above obviously has never attempted to communicate with Colter. You might as well be talking to a wall. Meeting with him changes nothing. I wish Ms. Turnbull luck in her attempts to teach Colter how to communicate. I'm sure that he "listened" intently at her meeting. But he will not change. He is just riding out his contract at our expense.
ReplyDelete