Revised policy aimed at mending tension

Feb. 8—Members of the Cumberland County Board of Education took steps Wednesday to heal the rifts that have affected board business and their relationships with one another and Director of Schools William Stepp.

"We've got to be able to disagree and move on," said Elizabeth Stull, 1st District representative, during the daylong board retreat.

Lines of division were clear when the board elected officers in late September. Almost every officer was elected on a 5-4 vote. That pattern continued and further aggravated board relations a month later, when the panel disagreed on operating through committees vs. work sessions. The majority voted to continue with committees, but other members contended the action violated a school board policy.

Those tensions are reflected in the board's self-evaluation. Ben Torres, assistant executive director and general counsel of the Tennessee School Boards Association, facilitated Wednesday's discussion on the self-evaluation review. He listened as board members recounted the events of the past several months and urged them to keep the lines of communication open with each other and with Stepp.

"It's OK to disagree," he said. "It's OK to not have the same opinions. There are nine people on this board, right? All with different backgrounds, temperaments, you name it. You're not going to agree on everything, and that's OK. I think the biggest thing is how you interact with one another when you don't agree."

To resolve the board's current tensions, Torres focused on the board vote and the verbiage of Policy 1.300.

"Regardless of what's happened in the past, nothing's going to get solved until you solve this," Torres said. "Are you all willing to solve it? And once it's solved, put it to bed and move on."

Torres' recommended solution is to revise Policy 1.300. It presently states, "The board shall operate without standing committees, except for the Executive Committee and the Policy Committee; however, special committees composed of board members may be appointed by the chairman at the direction of the Board and as the needs of the Board shall require."

The school board also has ad hoc budget, building and grounds/safety, and athletic committees. Torres recommended adding those three committees to the policy as standing committees. Revisions can be made during the policy's annual review.

"Would that be a solution?" he asked.

Board members Chris King, 6th District, and Shannon Stout, 9th District, said revising the policy would address their concerns.

"I think the board is open to that," Stull said. "I'm more than willing to go ahead and relook at that policy. I'm not in disagreement that some of these policies need to be revised."

"The policy needs to say what we're doing," King added. "We need to do what the policy says."

Torres stressed that the revision in no way revisits the committees vs. work sessions issue, saying that the majority vote had already determined the matter.

"You all need to reach a solution on this," he said. "And once it's reached, that's it. Move on."

Additions can be made to the policy, Torres said, to specify committee chair elections and to clarify the committees' roles as advisory bodies to the school board. Both were concerns of board member Nick Davis, 5th District.

Torres included such language in the policy revisions he made during Wednesday's meeting.

"Is everybody comfortable now, if y'all decide to do this?" he asked. "Does it address those issues moving forward that you all feel like you can work now toward other things and not be stuck on this?"

"I do," said Chairman Teresa Boston, 8th District.

Added Stout, "Put it on the agenda for the February meeting, as soon as possible."

Board members attending the Wednesday meeting were Stull; Davis; King; Boston; Stout; Sheri Nichols 3rd District; and Anita Hale, 4th District.

Robert Safdie, 2nd District, was out of state; and Becky Hamby, 7th District, was out of town due to the death of a family member.

The Revised Policy

The following is the presented revised wording of School Board Policy 1.300, as discussed by the Cumberland County Board of Education during the Wednesday, Feb. 7, board retreat. The board will consider the policy in an upcoming meeting. It was neither voted on nor adopted during the board retreat.

The Board shall operate with the following standing committees: Executive, Policy, Budget, Building and Grounds/Safety, and Athletic. Special committees may be formed at the direction of the Board and as the needs of the Board shall require. Such special committees shall be discharged when the work is finished or earlier by a majority vote of the entire Board. The chairman of the Board shall recommend, and the Board shall approve, appointments to the committees. All reports by committees shall be made directly to the Board.

Standing committees shall elect a chairman during each October committee meeting, and special committees shall elect a chairman at their initial meeting.

Committees shall serve in an advisory capacity and shall consist of less than a quorum of the Board members;

Committees may vote to make recommendations to the Board, and such recommendations shall not be binding on the Board;

Issues to be discussed by committees shall be approved in advance by the Board;

Special committees shall serve no longer than the annual organization meeting of the Board unless reappointed to finish a designated task; and

Committee members shall be held in accordance with the Open Meetings law.