Dateline: March 26, 2009

Superintendent's contract divides Hedley trustees

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

A divided Hedley school board voted Saturday to propose non-renewal of Superintendent Bryan Hill’s contract.

Board President James Lee Potts told the Enterprise that the 4-2 vote was not a final act and that Hill has 15 days to request a hearing before the board of trustees can vote on his contract.

On the advice of legal counsel, Potts would not comment on reasons for the board’s vote or other matters related to the issue.

Hill said he was not given any reason for the action taken last Saturday, and he raised concerns about an evaluation the board did in January of his annual performance.

“My original evaluation has been gone from my personnel file for nine weeks,” Hill said. “I was given a copy.”

Hill said his copy of the evaluation shows him as being “below expectations” in five out of nine areas.

“I’ve never had a bad evaluation in 27 years,” Hill said.

One of the areas of concern was in the budget where Hill said last year he was rated as having “exceeded expectations” but this year was rated “below expectations.”

Cary Don Neeley has been on the Hedley School Board for more than 30 years and agreed that Hill’s evaluations had always been positive.

“I can’t remember a bad evaluation,” Neeley said. “We might have had suggestions for improvement, but I don’t remember anything being rated ‘below expectations’ before.”

Neeley said he could not comment on what had happened in closed session, but he did have one comment he repeated from the meeting.

“I said in open session that I believe this is a witch hunt,” Neeley said.

Board member Blain Burton, who voted against Saturday’s measure, also confirmed Hill’s account of his evaluation, and Hill said he had tried to work with the board to correct a deficit the school is facing.

“The board told me August 31 to bring budget deficit proposals,” Hill said.

The superintendent’s proposals were to reassign one teacher, cut three aides’ positions, and raise taxes; but the board did not take action on those proposals.

“That involved some relatives of the board, and they didn’t want to do that,” Hill said. “We never did anything.”

Board member Bonnie Walsh, who along with Potts, his father James Edward Potts, and Tonja Ruthardt voted in favor of proposing non-renewal, said Hill’s proposals on the teacher aides would not have saved the district any money because it would have reduced funding from other sources.

Walsh also said the board did not pursue raising taxes because they did not want to let the taxpayers down, and that they are trying to do things correctly.

“We’re calling TASB (the Texas Association of School Boards) all the time,” Walsh said, “because we want to make sure things are done right.”

She also agreed with James Lee Potts that Saturday’s vote was not a final action.

“We just voted to vote on it,” she said.

Voting in favor of proposing non-renewal were J.L. Potts, J.E. Potts, Walsh, and Ruthardt. Voting in opposition were Neeley and Burton. Board member Troy Monroe was absent.

The board will have a called meeting this Saturday at 9 a.m. to discuss teacher contracts.