HISD board elects new president

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Hedley school board president Ted Wright was removed from his leadership position last week when trustees voted to reorganize the board ahead of this spring’s elections.

The decision came during a called meeting of the Hedley ISD board on Tuesday, April 16. Trustee Karen Watt said she didn’t believe the board was getting sufficient communication and moved to reorganize the board with Bonnie Brown as president. Watt, Tonja Ruthardt, James Potts, and Dana Bell voted in favor of the motion, Mark Howard opposed the measure, and Brown and Wright abstained.

Boards usually reorganize after an election, and sources tell the Enterprise it is unusual for such a move to take place unless the board make up has changed, such as board officer dying or resigning.

The change of leadership followed a vote last month in which Watt, Ruthardt, Potts, and Brown voted against the superintendent’s recommendation to renew the contract of Athletic Director Darrell Wallace. That prompted concerned citizens on both sides to address the board on April 2, and last week two citizens again addressed the issue. Linda Naylor spoke in support of the board’s decision on Wallace, and Troy Monroe spoke against it.

Both Wallace and his wife, teacher Suzanne Wallace, submitted their resignations at last Tuesday.

The board met in closed session to discuss the contract of Superintendent Bill Sanders, but no action was taken after the closed session. Relations between Sanders and some board members appeared strained as the meeting progressed.

The board voted to table the District Improvement Plan because they felt it did not included changes requested at the March 19 meeting. The board also noted changes requested had not been made to the District Needs Assessment.

Watt asked several questions about the district’s Compensatory Education Plan, and Sanders said, “We can’t nitpick this all day long.”

Watt turned her attention to certain salaries she felt should be included in the report, but Sanders said those figures didn’t belong in that particular report.

“Are you refusing to show us that information?” Watt asked. “No, ma’am,” Sanders replied and said he just wasn’t going to report it there.

The board then also tabled a review of documentation of UIL concussion recognition training because some board members felt information was missing.

In discussing the district’s fund balance, Watt noted that HISD ended FY 2009 with $390,000 and that, after budget cuts and a loss of enrollment, the district ended FY 2012 with $722,218. This was done without a tax increase, and she wanted people to be aware of it because she had heard rumors that the Hedley school would have to close next year.

“This doesn’t mean we’re safe forever,” she said, “but we’re alright.”