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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > February > 08
Friday, February 8, 2008
What they’re saying about Roosevelt
There was limited space in today’s DDN for the story about the school board deciding to raze Roosevelt High School, so let me put a few additional comments about it here.
School board president Yvonne Isaacs and board member Joe Lacey mixed it up some over procedure. And both of them had valid points.
Lacey complained that the only two public votes on Roosevelt that the board ever took — one to change the construction master plan to include a new building on the site in July of 2006 and last night’s vote to demolish the school — were done at meetings that did not allow public comment.
Isaacs countered that there had been many, many board meetings at which Roosevelt was discussed and lots of opportunity for those concerned about the school to speak to the board about it. She said the issues had been aired and the decision made.
Lacey, who filed a suit that he later dropped charging the school with failing to deliberate in public about Roosevelt, said he asked for the Roosevelt vote to be moved to the next meeting to allow public comment and demanded to know why it was not moved.
Isaacs said the board had decided “by consensus” to go ahead with the vote last night, prompting an argument between the two over whether “consensus” means a majority or unanimous consent.
This argument did make my public records law antenna quiver a bit. How did the board arrive at this “consensus” outside of a board meeting and a vote? Public boards are not permitted to make decisions in private. I’d like to hear an explanation of the board’s decision-making process on matters such as this.
Isaacs had this to say about the issue in sum:
“This Roosevelt decision has been a long and somewhat agonizing one. I feel in my heart of hearts we have given every opportunity for the community to have some input into this decision and come forward with a plan for reuse of the building. It was something this district could not take on. We had so hoped a community partner would come along. But that was not to be.”
Lacey’s view was this:
“I think it would be appropriate to move this item, since I think there’s a lot of people who might want to comment, to the general business meeting that does take comment.”
It was interesting that, other than Lacey, the new board came down on the side of demolishing the building. This included Nancy Nerny and Sheila Taylor, perceived by some to be Lacey allies.
Here’s what Taylor said about the decision:
“It feels a little strange to be voting on Roosevelt school becuase everyone else (prior board members) was so involved in the decision. It’s sad to me that the building going to go down, but we heard from the community, in lot of ways, who said it is time to move forward. Many of those people were involved in asking for the building not to take it down. The community is trying to work together with us. There is still room to talk about some items in the school.”
Mayor Rhine McLin and city commissioners Nan Whaley and Joey Williams attended the meeting in support of the redevelopment plan, which includes a city-owned recreation center and a district-run elementary school sharing the site.
McLin had this to say:
“I look forward to us moving ahead to make something really worthwhile for the community. The recreation center and education complex will be in a great location. It will be something that will energize the city and it’s an important investment for the whole city.”
Two other bits of news from the board meeting:
—Lori Ward, who formerly was the district’s technology chief, was promoted to Director of Business Operations at an annual salary of $96,390. Ward replaces Larry Hoskins, who left that job for a similar post at Columbus schools in April.
—Treasuer Stan Lucas was not one of the four finalists for the treasurer’s job at Lakota schools.
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