KO School Board Addresses Removal of Committee Chairmen

President Gary Alward on Thursday addressed the removal of three school board members from their positions as committee chairmen.

following the March school board meeting.

At Thursday’s school board meeting, there was discussion about why the committee chairs were reassigned, and whether or not the action was made during or following an executive session, in which the public was not present.

Alward said the decision to reassign committee chairmen was his, and that the action was done following the executive session—not during.

“The reason it took place is that the whole idea of the committee chair is to be able to chair a committee and follow the rules and procedures for how to do that,” Alward said. “At the very beginning of the year I was told by some individuals that they knew how to do that. That wasn’t done.”

Alward said the school board members should work together and make decisions as a whole. He cited a situation that occurred in January in which an auditing company had been contacted by one or more school board members, and which he said led to the company believing it would be working with the school district, although the board had not made a decision to use that company’s services.

Representatives from the company went so far as to attend the board meeting, believing the school board would vote to use their services, Alward said.

“That’s not how this works here,” Alward said. “Our number one goal on this board and as a district … is the kids. That is our job, and our duty, to make sure our kids get educated in the best possible way, together as a board.”

Hommrich said he believed the action had taken place while the executive session was still in progress.

“It wasn’t done in an open meeting,” he said. “I don’t know what we call a meeting back there that (the audience) aren’t a part of except executive session.”

Acting Superintendent Kathy Foster said the executive session had ended prior to the decision being made.

“The executive session had ended,” she said. “I thanked you all for the information on the two items the board discussed in the executive session. From my perspective, it was finished.”

Domalik said he doesn’t know what the rules for committees are within the Keystone Oaks School District, and that he has never been given those rules. He said when he was appointed committee chairman, he created an agenda for the first meeting that was heavily edited by other board members.

“I really don’t understand what a meeting is that occurs out of public view with a quorum or the board where decisions are made about how the board is going to operate if it’s not an executive session,” Domalik said. “I need a definition of what that scenario is so I know the rules about that. I don’t know what to call that. That sure felt like executive session to me.”

He said the situation with the auditing company was discussed as much as possible in committee meetings, and was not done behind closed doors. The company was not promised anything, he said.

Alward said he made the call and wanted to move forward with the best possible people in board positions. He said many of the new school board members, with the exception of Lisa Cancelliere, have not yet taken training courses to learn school board procedures.

Domalik, Hommrich and Finucan are still members of their respective committees, but are no longer the committee chairmen.