1. During Public Participation, speaker Danny Blanton noted that he, as a duly elected school board member, objected to having to resort to speaking under public participation as the only way he would get to speak at all on the record at a school board meeting. This, among other comments were not recorded in the minutes for the August 12th meeting approved 7-1 on August 26th.
2. I spoke during the public participation regarding several lines in the Capital Projects Report regarding spending over $27,000 for “surveys” regarding the proposed auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools. My comments regarding such proposals only coming up before an election and disappearing after an election was left out. My request, under the Freedom of Information Act and North Carolina Public Records Law for all documents related to any spending, planning and engineering on the projects were also left out. I suspected such and also emailed my public records requests to every school board member and the superintendent. To date I have received NOTHING.
4. Danny Blanton speaks out at the August 26, 2019 School Board Meeting:
Again, Danny Blanton spoke about the regrettable situation that he, being a duly elected school board member was not allowed to have an item placed on the agenda that would allow sufficient time to discuss the issues that matter. Blanton related that Chairman Shearra Miller had stated in the August 12, 2019 school board meeting illegal closed session that she (Miller) would NEVER allow Blanton to have an item on the regular or closed session agenda. Which is totally illegal.
Danny Blanton also states that he has confirmed with an attorney that the school board, led by Shearra Miller and Roger Harris, had banned him from the school safety committee, which they had no authority to do. Another illegal act by the school board.
Blanton also stated that having the Safety Committee meet only once per year was not nearly enough and that he would call a meeting every day if that was what it took for keep autistic kids from being bullied, beaten and abused. And then disciplined as if the event was their fault.
5. Susan Parrish speaks out at the August 26th School board Meeting:
Susan Parrish, the mother of a 13-year-old autistic child who attends North Shelby School, requested a meeting with the school board to discuss problems and resolutions regarding North Shelby School that resulted in her son being injured at school sufficient to require five staples in the back of his head. Ms. Parrish stated the event was preventable. (Sources report that the child was pushed by a teacher.) Ms. Parrish also thanked Danny Blanton for helping resolve a safety issue with some of the playground equipment Ms. Parrish requested this meeting to be with all of the School Board and private. No reply by the school board was given regarding such a meeting.
6. Former School Board candidate Bill Gray speaks out at the August 26th School board Meeting:
Former School Board candidate Bill Gray basically lowered the boom on the Cleveland County School Board. Mr. Gray stated that he was severely disappointed in the way the school board was conducting business and that he would be “more involved” in the School Board Election Process. Mr. Gray told the school board that half of them should be gone after the next school board election. Five school board members: Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker, Roger Harris, Jeff Jones and Jo Boggs are up for election in 2020. All of these school board members should be defeated in the 2020 elections.
Folks, watch the August 26, 2019 school board meeting broadcast. Don’t believe me, see for yourself. Watch the School Board, except for Danny Blanton, make fools of themselves. Especially Shearra Miller.
Also consider the fact that you too can run for the school board. You can certainly vote for better candidates that what we have now. Sign up to run. Be sure to vote. That is what our democracy is all about.
