A current member of the Neelyville Board of Education asked three of its members to resign Tuesday, after a former board president spoke out concerning the current state of the board.
Concerned teachers, staff and parents gathered Tuesday in the Neelyville cafeteria for the June meeting of the Neelyville School Board. The agenda included several items for discussion and decision-making. The meeting began with the usual call to order, followed by the approval of the agenda. Communications and petitions were addressed, encompassing a retiree’s thank-you card and requests for public participation at board meetings, focusing on the “current state of the board.”
Former board member John French was granted permission to address the board, expressing his dissatisfaction with their performance. French emphasized the importance of considering all the facts and making decisions based on what is right, rather than popular.
“When I agreed to speak, it was never going to be (at) anybody personally. If you want me to get personal with you, I will get personal, but (when) you look at all the facts — you make the right decision. When you do that, you don’t make the popular decision a lot. That’s just the way it is,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on, I’m not privy to all the facts. I’m not on the board, I don’t see the stuff that only board members are supposed to see — I know what I hear. And what I hear is not good.”
Board member Jim Hover also addressed the board.
“The current board division has created very low morale,” Hover said. “And it’s something we have to get fixed for the next school year.
“I’m not perfect and I sometimes make mistakes and errors. I can be given grace and given the opportunity to correct these mistakes and make a sincere apology when I’ve made an error.
“The parties I’m speaking toward tonight have been extended this grace, and it’s time for the action to be taken in every ongoing problem.”
Hover went on to address more specifics on violations he felt needed to be addressed, including what he said were negative and attacking social media posts, law violations regarding student privacy, as well as the loss of teachers due to personal agendas.
“As an elected official, I would like you to remember — our social media pages should be used to positively influence and not to air out our grievances,” said Hover.
He continued, “If you’re a sitting board member for this amazing school system, get over your ego, get over your power. It’s not a difficult thing to take a few steps back amid our division in the school system in your care and see that you are racist, discriminating, and that you have lost sight of what it means to serve.
“In closing, I feel the following board members need to resign from their position, I have asked them privately to resign, they refused.”
Resignations were requested by Hover from three board members. Board president, Vernon Barker, vice-president of the board, Dean Fisher, and Bob Burgett were asked to turn in resignations for their board seats. Barker was not in attendance for the Tuesday meeting.
There was silence, then a short applause from some audience members, following Hover’s request, after which the board continued with regular meeting items.
Action items scheduled for consideration during the meeting included the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services plan, the 2023-2024 student handbook, as well as the early childhood handbook, authorization to seek bids for propane for the 2023-2024 academic year, the facilities and maintenance report, as well as the curriculum and the elementary physical education position requirements. Additionally, a budget amendment for the 2022-2023 fiscal year and the 2023-2024 budget were discussed.
The meeting concluded with a closed session, during which the board was said to be addressing legal matters, student-related issues and personnel matters, including resignations, hiring or reassignments and supplemental salaries.
The next scheduled meeting of the Neelyville School Board is set to take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20.
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