The Pine Bluff School District Board of Directors voted to add discussion of a one year contract extension for district superintendent Jerry O. Payne to the agenda and then voted against giving him one at the board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night.
In making the motion to add the contract issue to the night’s agenda, board vice president Donna Barnes said that it was proper to discuss adding a year to the superintendent’s current three-year contract that is good through mid-summer of 2014 at the January meeting, which is six months into Payne’s existing contract.
Barnes also made the motion not to extend the superintendent’s contract.
“I move that no additional extension of superintendent Payne’s contract be made,” Barnes said. “What is in place remains.”
Board secretary Freddie M. Johnson seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously by the board.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In other business the board voted to approve a series of personnel recommendations made by Payne to the board, but not without some pointed commentary by several board members after the vote.
The board agreed to hire certified personnel LaSheia Foots as a fifth-grade teacher at Oak Park Elementary School, effective Jan. 17; and classified personnel Timothy D. Collins as a security guard at Pine Bluff High School effective Jan. 17.
The board also approved the resignations of certified personnel Jennifer Byerly, a teacher at Belair Middle School, effective Jan. 3; and classified personnel Marcus Phillips as an instructional aide at Southeast Middle School effective Jan. 3; Marcello Eans as a para professional from Oak Park Elementary effective Jan. 6; and Deandre Allmon as a technology technician from the Central Office effective Jan. 17.
The resignation of Allmon prompted board member Ellon Nichol to question district information technology director Rodney Riles on what effect this would have on his department.
“These people who are resigning,” Nichols said. “Mr. Riles, can you hire someone soon to replace him?”
Riles answered in the affirmative.
The exchange prompted Payne to ask members of the board not to question members of the district in an open meeting on personnel issues.
“Recommendations come from me as the superintendent,” Payne said. “I respectfully ask that members of the board refrain from calling on members of my staff during an open meeting.”
Johnson confronted Payne over who makes recommendations to the board, saying that several recommendations approved by the board at the December regular monthly meeting were made by Pine Bluff High School Principal Robert Handley and not the superintendent.
Barnes said that her main concern was the number of resignations of district personnel over the past several months.
“Every month people keep breaking their contracts with the district and leaving us in a bind,” Barnes said. “If they desert a job then the they owe us and we don’t owe them. I think we need to send these things to legal to get their opinion.
Board president Herman Horace agreed with Barnes.
“I just don’t see if we sign a contract and then they leave after six or eight months,” Horace said. “I think we shouldn’t let them go until there are replacements.”