Commissioners, school board members stay they are out of the loop

Commissioners Fred Skillern and Warren Mackey sat in a conference room May 11, a copy of a newspaper in front of them. In a story about Orchard Knob Middle School, the president of the parent-teacher association said students did not receive take-home science books until April. Mr. Mackey and Mr. Skillern were not happy.

"I didn't get word of the meeting until last night," Mr. Mackey said last week, after noting more than half the county's budget, $359 million, goes to the schools. Mr. Mackey represents commission District 4, an area that includes the middle school.

"It's not that you're micromanaging," Mr. Skillern said. "But you need to know."

Commissioner Larry Henry on Monday said he feels the commission doesn't get enough information from the schools. Commissioner Jim Coppinger agreed communication could be better.

Some Board of Education members say they, too, feel out of the loop.

"I feel like there could be more information given to us," Linda Mosley said. "We find out things at the same times everybody else does."

Those were views echoed by members Everett Fairchild and Chester Bankston. Two other board members, Jeffrey Wilson and Janice Boydston, said they don't see communication as a huge issue.

"If (commissioners) need to know (every detail), they need to run for the school board," Ms. Boydston said.

School Superintendent Jim Scales and Danielle Clark, director of communications, said the system informs board members when something happens at a school. But Dr. Scales said there is no policy in place to inform commissioners directly when this happens. Ms. Clark said she works for Dr. Scales, who directs communications policies.

"If that's a concern, we certainly can accommodate them, because that's just another phone call or another e-mail to the County Commission," Dr. Scales said.

Ms. Clark said she typically informs the school board member whose district a school is in when an incident happens, depending on how Dr. Scales wants to handle it. Ms. Clark also sends copies of e-mails to county commission staff and the media after she receives a list of events in schools around the district.

She said the school system would not issue a news release on safety issues, like if a student brings a weapon to school, because those are "law-enforcement situations." She said typically she would make a specific board member aware of the situation.

Ms. Clark said the textbook issue at Orchard Knob was unique because the school board had already resolved it before parents met. It is the superintendent and board members' job to pass information along to the commission, but Ms. Clark said she understands commissioners' concerns. She encouraged commissioners to call her. She noted the school system has many moving parts.

"There are 6,500 employees, 78 schools, 42,000 students and there's one of me," Ms. Clark said.

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