After covering the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board for over 13 years, I’ve witnessed many boards and board members come and go. While most meetings are routine and many votes are unanimous, a couple of incidents during Wednesday night’s session stood out.
Debate Over HSEA Participation
First, during a discussion on proposed changes to the student handbooks, board member Sarah Parks-Reese asked the leadership of the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) to comment on teacher involvement in the textbook selection process.
Because Board President Juanita Albright was attending virtually, Vice President Tiffany Pascoe chaired the meeting. Pascoe intervened, stating that Robert’s Rules of Order requires a board vote before HSEA representatives can address the board.
While I’m no expert on Robert’s Rules, I can say that in the past 13 years, I don’t recall any board vote being required when a member asked HSEA to speak. If a board member had a question for HSEA, they were typically allowed to ask it directly.
Parks-Reese appeared surprised by the procedural objection but proceeded to make a motion to allow HSEA to address the board. Ben Orr seconded the motion. The board voted 5–2 in favor, allowing HSEA representatives to speak. Pascoe and Albright voted no.
Disagreement Over New Administrative Position
The board also voted on a list of personnel actions, which included the creation of a new central office role: Executive Director for Elementary Education.
Board member Suzanne Thomas raised concerns, pointing to the district’s current budget uncertainty and stating she did not have enough information to support the creation of the new position. Parks-Reese agreed, also citing a lack of clarity on the financial impact.
Ben Orr acknowledged having similar questions but said his concerns had been addressed and that the elimination of other positions justified the addition of the new role. At the close of the meeting, board member Dawn Lang voiced her support, saying one assistant superintendent overseeing all 17 elementary schools was too much for one person to manage effectively.
The personnel actions passed on a 4–3 vote. Thomas, Parks-Reese, and Latricia Schooley voted against the measure.
Final Thoughts
School board members are elected to represent the public and will naturally have disagreements on important matters. That’s nothing new. What I’m noticing lately, however, is that these disagreements are becoming more pronounced—and more frequent.