Director Kristy Haseman introduces action; voted down 4-3
It was the school board agenda item that attracted the most attention at the Monday, November 16 regular monthly meeting of the Butterfield-Odin Public School (B-OPS) School Board meeting. The item even attracted a Watonwan County Deputy Sheriff who was standing by in the school’s Media Center.
That agenda listing included a letter from School Board Director Kristy Haseman requesting one formal resolution calling for the immediate removal of four board members (Board Chair Joel Penner, Board Vice-Chair Leon Wenner, Board Treasurer Anders Pierson and Board Clerk Tammy Wolle) for “cause,” along with her documentation of that “cause.”
That resolution failed on a vote of four (Penner, Wenner, Pierson and Wolle) to three (Haseman, Director Diane Peterson and Director Renae Meyer), but in between the introduction of the resolution and the final vote, board members exchanged plenty of discussion.
Haseman began to make her points by reading an opening statement centering around the definition of malfeasance. “The word means the performance by a public official of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful or contrary to the law, wrongdoing (used especially of an act of violation of a public trust). Malfeasance is bad behavior, especially from officials or people who should know better. It is wrongful conduct by a public official. Malfeasance is the willful and intentional action that injures a party.”
She went on to state that the B-OPS Board of Education has a history of working together with the administration to make the school a great place for students, teachers and support staff to work together for the good of children. “This was true up to January 2015,” Haseman points out. “Things have not gone well in 2015 since our last election.
“When the law if being broken, I will not ‘just get along.'”
Haseman has compiled a packet on the “causes” for the removal of each of the four individual board members, including Minnesota Statutes she says were broken, along with Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) Role of the School Board responsibilities and obligations to which she believes they did not adhere.
Haseman pointed out that if the resolution for removal passed, it would be followed by a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge because the board members were the choice of the electorate. “And, if it doesn’t pass, I believe we need an independent investigation.”
Presentation of the information and “cause” packet by Haseman was derailed when Wenner questioned whether the letter he received as a three-day notice of the intent of the introduction of a resolution for removal was valid as the letter was missing its final line, a line that showed up on the same letter in board packets. He asked Haseman to read the series of e-mails that were part of letter, including the final portion. That last line dealt with Shellum’s desire to leave the school district due to what she views as working for “Big Brother.”
All four – Penner, Wenner, Pierson and Wolle – stated that, in taking their actions and in making their decisions, they did not break any laws. “We did absolutely nothing wrong,” Penner declared.
Penner then asked Haseman who had assisted her in creating the packet of information and “cause.” “Lisa helped you write this,” Penner stressed, to which Haseman said, “Lisa gave me information and access to her files.” Board Members Meyer and Peterson were not aware of what was placed in the packet.
Penner noted that this cooperative contact with the school’s administrator violated Minnesota Statute.
Wolle shared that over the past two years (2013-2014, 2014-2015), the school district has lost seven teachers and 13 paraprofessionals/bus drivers – with just four of that number to retirement, the rest leaving the district.
Added by Penner was that Shellum has, “threatened to sue, threatened for sexual harassment.”
As his final statement, Penner stressed that, going forward, school board agendas will focus on dealing with students, the school, curriculum. “In the future, school board meetings will deal with school issues, not personalities.”
Approved summary of November 12 closed meeting with Shellum
On a 4-3 vote (Penner, Wenner, Pierson and Wolle, “yes;” Haseman, Peterson and Meyer, “no,” the reading of the summary of the Thursday, November 12 closed school board meeting with B-OPS Superintendent/Principal Shellum was approved. The summary noted that there was insufficient new information to change the decision made at the Monday, October 19 regular board meeting for the non-renewal of the 50% superintendent role in Shellum’s job description, effective June 30, 2016. The action does not affect her 50% position as principal and curriculum director.
Open Forum comments
Open Forum comments, the final meeting agenda item, centered around Shellum, her superintendent evaluation by school board members, principal evaluation by Keith Dixon and the non-renewal of the superintendent half of her contract.
Lisa Wolle noted that in Shellum’s evaluation by school board members, she had received more “positives” than “negatives.” She added that perhaps those who were elected at the November 2014 school board election ran under false pretenses.
Lori Urevig, the sister of Shellum, received permission from Haseman to read into the November board minutes from several “cause” items in the packet of information compiled by Haseman. The first “cause” was that Penner had told a community member that “there was too much estrogen at the board table. This is a violation of a protected class (female) in the state of Minnesota and a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act as it is a violation against all of the women that are board members or ex-officios of the Butterfield-Odin Board of Education.” The second item read by Urevig was that there were pre-medtiated actions against Shellum. “In a conversation with Representative Bob Gunther, Nels Pierson, legislator and brother of Andy Pierson, told him in so many words that his brother got onto the Butterfield-Odin Public School Board to ‘fire’ the superintendent. Mr. Gunther had no problem telling community members this at the Watonwan County Fair as well. It would seem as this statement said last January of 2015 has come true in October of 2015. The community needs to ponder this very closely. Pre-meditated and several laws broken in order to fulfill ‘the plan.'” The final “cause” read by Urevig from Haseman’s information packet dealt with inappropriate conduct by a board member at a parent meeting with Keith Dixon. “At the parent meeting arranged by Superintendent/Principal Shellum with Mr. Dixon, Tammy Wolle is heard threatening to sue the community when people at the meeting are simply expressing their views. She publicly attacks another community member and violates the child of that community member at this public meeting. Urevig closed her Open Forum comments by stating, “Joel, your code of conduct is out of line. The future will tell the story.”
Blane Braaten, in his Open Forum statement, thanked some of the school board members for not publicly running down others during this time.
The last to speak was Barb Mathistad Warner who recalled an earlier conversation she had with Shellum when she had asked her as to why student test scores were so low. “Lisa told me – demographics. But, after the October meeting, when I talked to her again about test scores, and that she had told me demographics were the reason, Lisa told me, ‘I would never say that.’ Talk to the teachers who have left (the district). Lisa (who has been with the school district 15 years) has told me there would be a lawsuit.”
In other business
+ Approved the Integration and Achievement Report for the 2014-2015 school year as presented by B-OPS Licensed School Counselor Tammi Samuelson, prior to submission to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Samuelson shared that this year the school district received $46,920 from the MDE for Integration and Achievement Programs. The B-OPS School District is paired with the Martin County West Public School District and the Comfrey Public School District, and has been participating in the program for 14 years. This plan consists of the activities that these funds support within the district. The schools work together and get students together by offering combined lyceums held at alternating locations, a joint summer school for high school students and administration from all three districts who get together to plan for the success of all of the students. Information on the Integration and Achievement Report can be found at http://www.butterfield.k12.mn.us/page/2840.
+ Approved the World’s Best Workforce Report for the 2014-2015 school year, prior to submission to the MDE. Acting B-OPS Superintendent Allen Hoffman explained that the World’s Best Workforce is a statutory obligation of the school district. Some of the steps needed to be taken as part of the World’s Best Workforce include – all children are ready for kindergarten, students have grade-level literacy by the third grade, students are career or college ready by graduation and that all students graduate. This report can be accessed at http://www.butterfield.k12.mn.us/page/2824.
+ Approved the Teacher Evaluation Process for B-OPS.
+ Approved the signatories for the four school district bank accounts at Triumph State Bank of Butterfield.
+ Approved the Faculty Seniority List for B-OPS.
+ Approved by a 4-3 vote (Penner, Wenner, Pierson and Wolle, “yes;” Haseman, Peterson and Meyer, “no”) to include all documentation acted on at the Monday, July 20 regular school board meeting into the book of public record in the office at B-OPS. This included the summary of the Superintendent/Principal Evaluation, Wellness Policy, Tentative 2015-2016 School Calendar, Bid Openings for Snow Removal and Milk and Fee Sheet for 2015-2016.
+ Heard from Hoffman concerning the creation of a new position within the school district, with the action on the proposal slated for the school board’s Monday, December 21 meeting. According to Hoffman, the new position would be have a compilation of job duties. These would include assisting with technology in maintenance, software updates, in the classroom, in support of teachers using technology such as Smart Boards and Chrome Books, setting up the system for MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) testing, updating the school district’s website, updating e-mail, assisting as a paraprofessional for eighth-grade students and filling in as a substitute teacher i f needed. The position would start in January 2016, and compensation would be at a first-year teacher’s salary. Board Member Pierson asked if tech support assistance had been looked at from either the Comfrey Public School District or the Mountain Lake Public School District.
+ Hoffman also submitted consideration of a stipend for B-OPS Principal Barry Schmidt, also to be acted on at the board’s December meeting. Hoffman noted that Schmidt had put in an extra 14 hours of work a week over the course of the past 12 weeks during Shellum’s FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act). He estimated that the 14 extra hours each week would equal a stipend of $7,200.
+ Haseman read from an e-mail from Shellum stating that she would be returning to the school district on Monday, November 23, delineating that she was excited to be returning, was looking forward to working with everyone and extending thanks to Hoffman and Schmidt for their work during her absence.
+ Accepted the resignation of Laurel Leet from the school’s kitchen staff, effective Monday, November 30.
+ Heard a Bus Driver Update from Schmidt, sharing that a bus driver had been added, giving the district a total of three drivers, along with the drivers for two van routes.
+ Heard an update from Schmidt on PLC work/FAST Data Program for Title 1 students.
+ Heard information from Schmidt that the Parent/Teacher Conferences for grades kindergarten-to-six were well-attended, but conferences for students in grades 7-12 needs more parents involved.
+ Learned from Schmidt that the Homework Start Room for elementary students will begin Tuesday, December 1.
+ Learned from Schmidt that the date of the Elementary Christmas Concert has been moved to Monday, December 21 from its original date of Monday, December 7. Start time remains the same at 7 p.m.
+ Heard reiterated by Hoffman that the Truth In Taxation Meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 21. This information needs to be submitted to the state by Thursday, December 31 by the school’s business managers, Clifton, Larson and Allen.
+ Moved the December 21 monthly school board meeting to 5 p.m., followed by the Truth In Taxation Meeting at 6:30 p.m. and the Elementary Christmas Concert at 7 p.m.
+ Heard committee reports from the Negotiations Committee, Transportation Committee, Staff Development Committee, Building and Grounds/Transportation Committee, Sports Pairing Committee and River Bend Committee.
