Brandon Twp.- The Brandon Board of Education meeting started on Monday much as it did last month? with a standing room only crowd.
But while there were again questions from the audience about Superintendent Tom Miller’s performance, this time Miller and some boardmembers fired back, defending decisions from placement of the new high school parking lot, to delaying hiring of more teachers until a month after school began, to use of bond money and even where Miller resides.
Perhaps the biggest difference between this meeting and the last was when it ended? 3:30 a.m.? and how it ended? with a unanimous vote to continue Miller’s contract as superintendent, but without an extension. ‘The evaluation was a long process and we looked at it as things we need to do to give Tom clear directions,? said Board Trustee Chris Yuchasz. ‘We need to work together as a group and say this is what we want. There are a lot of good things going on, but we can all improve.?
During the meeting, Board Trustee Beth Nuccio agreed the board and community need to move forward from turmoil that began in January when Miller announced he would transfer High School Principal Michael Ferguson to assistant principal of the CHOICES program. After protests from students, parents, and staff, and citing a misunderstanding, Miller reinstated Ferguson; however, a backlash against Miller continued, with questioning of other decisions he has made as superintendent and calls for his termination. Miller currently earns $131,090 annually and is under contract until June 30, 2010.
‘I’m begging you to stop this smear campaign… we need to be unified, we have obstacles to overcome,? said Nuccio to Bonnie Kerin, who has previously said she intends to pursue a recall effort against several boardmembers if Miller is not terminated.
Kerin said after the meeting that she was still considering a move to recall Nuccio, Yuchasz and possibly Board President Greg Allar, depending on research she is doing, but needs to talk to other citizens who would also be involved in the attempt.
Yuchasz called any recall try counterproductive.
‘We haven’t done anything to be recalled, other than disagree with Bonnie,? he said.
The board did agree with Yuchasz that there needs to be clearer communication. They are currently planning two tools in which to converse with the public better: Board Notes, a post-meeting session in which a boardmember will be videotaped talking about what items were discussed and the decisions made; and pre-board meeting workshops the public will be invited to.
‘We are coming into very hard times and they can see the various committee meetings and see the challenges we are faced with,? said Allar. ‘We’ll be making tough decisions. We don’t expect pats on the back, but we don’t expect kicks in the other end all the time, either.?
Allar had no comment on Miller’s performance in the past year as superintendent, nor on the evaluation.
Miller did not return calls for comment.