School board takes care of business despite White’s protests

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Maricopa school board member Tim White alternated between obfuscation, accusation, histrionics and nitpicking last night to transform what might have been a fairly routine and productive meeting into a drawn-out and frustrating session that had people rushing for their cars after three and half hours.

Alleging that the rest of the board and the administration of Superintendent Dr. John Flores were engaging in “a blatant attempt to shut me down,” White argued and protested through much of the one-hour work session and the regular meeting that followed.

White, whose terms runs until 2010, recently survived an effort to recall him from office (see related story).

Despite the melodramatics, the board accomplished a number of things, including:

• Accepting the resignation of Michael Murriett, coordinator of the school district’s Before and After School Program, effective Oct. 22 (see related story).

• Approving, through a compromise, the hiring of 50 new teachers for the 2008-09 school year. The administration had recommended 75 new teachers, for three new schools that will come on stream that year, but said the need really existed for 91 new teachers.

• Naming Bernie Hibbard, principal of Maricopa High School, to succeed Mark Busch as MUSD business manager (see related story) on an interim basis. Hibbard will be replaced by one of the high school’s assistant principals.

• Approving the district’s annual financial report, as reviewed by Busch. The report basically accounts for expenditures to date of bond revenues from a $55.7 million issue approved by voters last year.

• Approving the hiring of a full-time professional truant officer/attendance officer.

• Approving the school district’s vision and mission statements, and its stated goals. The vision statement is “Educating tomorrow’s leaders,” and the mission statement is “Maricopa Unified School District’s mission is to provide exceptional learning opportunities for every student.”

The district’s four goals, as stated by Flores, are to provide:
1. Superior student achievement
2. High quality student-centered staff
3. Excellent communication
4. Optimal facilities and technology

Dr. Flores also outlined a process and timelines for achieving the goals.

At one point in the session, White bristled at a proposed policy that would require that at least two board members ask that an item be posted on an agenda. Present MUSD policy allows only one member to add an item to a board meeting agenda.

Threatening “federal court action,” if warranted, White said that such a proposal is “an attack on my personal integrity. This is a blatant attempt to silence a public official,” he said. He added that his personal attorney is advising him of his rights as a board member.

Jim Chaston, board president, said he believed that policies varied from board to board throughout the state but agreed to ask Dr. Flores to have similar policies researched.