(Second paragraph edited Jan. 17, 3 pm)
The Greene County Schools board of education will consider at its regular meeting Wednesday approving a new form that is intended to be a tool to clarify and document complaints and grievances against staff.
The form was written by board member Mark Peters after discussion at a special meeting Jan. 5 and further conversation with community member Steve Fisher. The posted agenda of the meeting included two items – board policies, procedures and roles; and a possible closed session to evaluate the job performance of an employee as allowed by Iowa Code. The meeting was attended by many members of the public and teachers.
A draft of the form was provided at the regularly scheduled Q & A session with board members Jan. 11. Board member Teresa Hagen said it is important that people follow the process when they have concerns about an action of the staff.
Discussion of the role of the school board in hearing grievances against staff members continued. Fisher said he thinks people are frustrated because grievances they have against staff members are not handled. “People don’t feel like they’re heard. People don’t feel like it’s being handled by the people who are supposed to handle them, and that’s not the board members,” Fisher said.
There was discussion of an article in another publication that referred to “toxicity” in the relationship between the school board and administration and the community. Tim Tucker said the toxicity starts when the board fails to listen to the public. “When does the school board start to listen to the people and what the general population thinks of the direction of the school?” Tucker asked. “People want changes. When does the school board listen to the public?”
Fisher talked about accountability. “We can talk about issues and we may not agree on things, but that’s how you come to change and solutions,” he said. “The board is elected by the people, and there’s accountability both ways, from the bottom up and from the top down. I think part of the issue that has brought some division in the community is that people don’t feel like there’s accountability in our system. People don’t feel heard. It’s important that you hear that.”
Also at that session Peters and board member Teresa Hagen both stated their intention not to run for another term. Peters called serving on the school board “something everybody should do.” His term expires in 2019, the same year that the number of board seats goes from seven to five. Four terms expire that year; persons will be elected to fill only two of them, per the reorganization plan.
Hagen said that when she was first elected to the board she had four children in four schools. Her youngest child graduates in May. Her term expires in 2017 and she does not plan to run for re-election.
Superintendent Tim Christensen also provided information about the total taxable valuations recently provided by the county auditor’s office. In the current fiscal year, the total taxable valuation excluding tax increment financing (TIF) districts in the Greene County district is $486,618,000. That will increase to $502,220,000 for FY18. That is a 3.21 percent increase. He said that only about one-third of the district’s revenue comes from local property tax.
The Greene County school board meets Jan. 18 at 6:30 pm at the administration building at 204 W. Madison St in Jefferson. The regular meeting will be preceded by a work session at 5:15. Elementary staff will do a presentation on their curricula, methods, innovations, etc.
