Five Weeks ago, on election day, Cleveland County voters overwhelmingly threw out the “Old” and voted in a completely “New” set of School Board members. A majority of five-all Republicans-who will have complete control of Cleveland County Schools. Beginning at the December 14, 2020 School Board meeting when they will each be sworn in. Those five new school board Republican members, plus Danny Blanton equals six of nine school board members. A super-majority by any standard,
Elections have consequences. After decades in office and poor and declining leadership, it was well past the time for a change on the CCS school board. And citizens-taxpayers and voters just made such an across the board change possible. Actually, demanding such a change for the better. Mandating a change. A drastic change-top to bottom.
Now, December 14, 2020 is just seven days away. Let’s take a look at what the NEW school board majority has to do to separate themselves from the bad leadership and corruption of the old school board has-beens.
A new administration team!!
The New School Board must decide whether or not to stick with the old set of CCS administrators. Administrators who were chosen based on who they were kin to, where they went to church, how well they sucked-up and other corrupt factors. Instead of how well they were qualified, experienced and trained for their particular administration jobs.
Some would say, keep the old incompetent and unqualified crowd and provide them more direction and more oversight. I say “Hoey” to such nonsense as that!! My suggestion to the new school board majority is, at the December 14th meeting, to assign new personnel to the following administrations positions:
1. Superintendent: Such actions as suing the Sheriff for 3 Million without consulting the full school board is enough to fire the Superintendent for cause. Lots more where that came from.
2. Assistant Superintendents; Eliminate all positions and Reclassify or replace all existing personnel in those positions with qualified personnel at a lower level. It’s called flattening the organization chart. A reduction of the number of unqualified management people communicating information from the bottom to the top. Go back to just about any school board meeting video and you will find plenty of examples here. HR, Maintenance and Child Nutrition are other areas where excessive layers of management have led to unnecessary problems.
3. Title IX Coordinator: Replacing this position is probably necessary to settle the Federal Title IX complaints and possibility of reducing multi-million-dollar fines.
4. Reorganize the School Resource Officer Program under a single law enforcement controlling agency-the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department-with school safety and disciplinary control authority.
Also note that the COVID-19 school shutdowns ordered by State Officials are still in place.
I would suggest that the new school board adopt the policy for COVID-19 (and any other emergency situation) that CCS will either:
1. CCS will operate all schools and all grades five- days a week.
OR
2. Shut-down all schools and all grades until further notice.
The Old School Board burned through around $100 Million in funding during their shutdown, mostly spinning their wheels on the thousands of options that changed daily. All the while, the Cleveland County Health Department Director, under the Cleveland County Commissioners, refused to make recommendations on whether or not to operate the Cleveland County Schools. Even though they are the experts hired just for such matters. My recommendation to the NEW school board is to require the Commissioners and the Health Department (those already tasked with keeping up with the COVID19 Pandemic) provide specific recommendations to either operate or close the schools due to the pandemic.
And there are other pressing matters:
Since all four high schools in Cleveland County are over 50 years old, have unequal facilities (No swimming pools and auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Scho9ols) and other schools are aging, I would also recommend that the new school board appoint a committee that includes members of the public to study all the schools and facilities within CCS to:
1. Develop an overall strategic plan and schedule to determine what schools need to be retired from service, renovated or continue to operate as is.
2. Develop Preventive maintenance plans and programs to extend the life of all schools and facilities.
3. Develop a single set of architectural and equipment requirements for all schools to encourage equal facilities and maximum economies of scale.
4. Coordinate funding requirements and priorities for all school construction or maintenance with the Cleveland County Commissioners.
I would suggest the target maximum useful life of existing Cleveland County Schools be set at 70 years, since we are where we are because of the inactions of the old school board.
I would also suggest the NEW school board include members of the general public who are qualified, interested and willing to provide expertise, assistance and advice to the new school board regarding facilities construction, maintenance and equipment requirements. One of the priorities of school and facility construction and equipment selection is energy efficiency such that utility cost savings will significantly offset school and facility operation costs.
The biggest utility expenses at CCS and about everywhere else spring from heating and Cooling (HVAC) systems. Therefore, energy efficiency in school and facility construction should be of high priority as well as proper design, specification, selection of HVAC systems and equipment, preventative maintenance, proper operation and control and a handful of other considerations are inter-related and all are important. Again, go back and watch past school board meeting videos for plenty of examples of know-nothing administrators presenting know-nothing information and recommendations to the know-nothing “OLD” school board. Probably the best (perfect in my book) example of this are the past several school board meetings regarding Mold, water leaking and air conditioning the gymnasiums at Burns and Crest High Schools. I would recommend the NEW school board stop all work on air conditioning the Burns and Crest High School gymnasiums until such time that qualified persons can evaluate this situation. Since I have 40 plus years engineering experience designing, maintaining, specifying and evaluating contractor bids on such HVAC and other mechanical work at large (and small) facilities, I would be glad to assist the NEW school board on doing what is right and cost-effective for this work.
Folks, this December 14, 2020 School board meeting is just the beginning of making changes at Cleveland County Schools that are cost effective, innovative, equitable, fair to all, common-sense, fiduciary responsible, etc., that will have as its top priority the best educational experience and results for our children. Just as “Rome was not built in a DAY” Cleveland County Schools will not meet all expectations by December 15, 2020.
But the new School Board members have attended school board meetings just like I have attended school board meetings. They have seen what I have seen and they have heard what I have heard. They know what has to be done and they know what it will take to get it done. So, hopefully concerned citizens and parents will turn out in large numbers at the December 14, 2020 school board meeting to witness the “changing of the guard” and experience the hope of better days ahead for CCS and the economic benefits of a well educated workforce in Cleveland County of wherever our graduates have to go to obtain the best jobs that their skills can provide. And back-up our new school board in all that they endeavor to do to make these hopes a complete and total reality. In record time.
See you there. And come early to get a seat.