BENTONVILLE -- A School Board that appeared deeply divided this week over the fate of Superintendent Michael Poore voted unanimously late Thursday to create a new three-year contract for him.
The board met in executive session for four hours before voting 7-0 to renew Poore's contract under new terms. Willie Cowgur, board member, announced the decision about 11:15 p.m. Thursday just before the board took its vote. The result of the vote was greeted with cheers from the audience.
At A Glance
Michael Poore
Michael Poore was one of 24 people who applied for the Bentonville School District superintendent’s job in 2010. The School Board chose him and he started in July 2011. Before that he was deputy superintendent of curriculum in Colorado Springs, Colo., for four years. He also had worked as a superintendent, principal, teacher and coach.
Source: Staff Report
"Thank you for offering me this opportunity to continue to be a part of this community," Poore told the board. He smiled and shook hands with board members as they left.
Cowgur declined to explain what kind of details in Poore's contract the board was looking at adding or changing.
"I think we have the right leader in Michael Poore and I expect great things from Mike and this district," Cowgur said.
The board evaluates the superintendent's performance every year around this time and votes on whether to extend his contract another year. The last two years the board extended Poore's contract without controversy.
But rumors the board would vote not to extend Poore's contract swirled through the community before Monday's meeting. Rebecca Powers, board member, apologized to Poore for allowing him to be "bullied and abused" by the board and claimed this year's evaluation process had been "corrupted." She also claimed Wendi Cheatham, board president, wanted to remove Poore from his position since she joined the board in 2012.
The board met in executive session that night, but made no decision except to continue the discussion Thursday. Large crowds of Poore supporters turned out for both meetings.
About 100 people filled the School Board's meeting room Thursday night. Many audience members held up signs stating "renew" or "I stand with Poore." About 10 people stood on the sidewalk outside the Administration Building before the meeting holding their signs.
Powers called what happened Thursday a "miracle" Friday.
"A unanimous vote shows that this board wants unity for our district," Powers wrote. "A group of educated professionals who have varying opinions about many topics surrounding this District's best interests sat around a table and found a common ground."
She added Jesus Christ is at work in the district.
"He is here and He is mighty," she wrote. "There are prayer warriors everywhere praying for everyone on this board, and our superintendent."
Cheatham said she was "looking forward to moving forward" after Thursday's meeting, but declined further comment.
Poore admitted the deliberation on his contract this week made him nervous, but he expressed enthusiasm at the idea of structuring a new contract agreement with the board.
"I think it's going to be a great process," he said.
Poore's current contract extends through June 30, 2016. His new contract will add another year to that. He is earning $204,500 this year.
The agenda for Thursday's meeting originally indicated it would serve only as an opportunity for the board to meet in executive session, but it turned into more than that. The board voted to allow members of the public to comment. Five people addressed the board. All spoke in favor of Poore.
Marshall Ney, the board's attorney, cautioned the board before it allowed public comment Thursday. He said he had seen email written by community members containing information that only could have been disclosed during executive sessions. Disclosing information discussed during executive sessions is a felony offense, he said.
"This board has an ethical obligation to maintain that confidentiality," Ney said. "Because I've seen the text of emails circulated, I know there are district patrons who possess information that never should have been disclosed. To allow the public to then come and discuss information that otherwise should not have been in the public sets a very dangerous precedent."
A public board may hold executive sessions to consider employment, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining or resignation of any public officer or employee.
NW News on 02/22/2014