How We See It: School Board Focuses On Conduct Policy Unnecessarily

It's no secret the elected leadership of the Bentonville School District is unlikely to be discovered holding hands and singing Kumbaya. This collection of individuals demonstrates time and again it will operate in a tension-filled atmosphere that leaves observers and employees discerning where the battle lines are drawn.

The school board is earning a reputation for approaching issues with an assumption that something is terribly wrong with the school district its members were elected to lead. Certainly, some of this comes from the uneasy relations some members have with the superintendent, but that's not the only sign of strained relations.

The most recent example is the push for a new set of conduct policies for certified staff within the district.

Certified staff should conduct themselves at all times in a way that will "reflect credit upon themselves and the district" and "demonstrate that they are of good moral character and worthy to instruct and supervise" students, according to the proposal.

From the outside looking in - which is where most everyone is with regard to the school board - this exercise seems almost entirely pointless. And we say "almost" just to give a little benefit of the doubt.

Grant Lightle, a board member, apparently requested administrators craft a new set of conduct policies last fall, so off to work went the school board's attorney, Marshall Nye. Last week, the matter came up for discussion again, and board member Brent Leas had some worthwhile points to make. Chief among them was the fact the school district has spent more than $108,000 on Nye's services during the fiscal year, more than double what the board budgeted for legal fees.

"Some of that has been overreach by this board, asking our legal counsel to do things I don't think are necessary," Leas said.

So, Leas questioned, why is the school board's attorney devoting more time (and district money) to a conduct policy one member of the school board asked for?

What makes the matter even more perplexing are the voices telling school board members the policy is entirely unnecessary. Poore has noted Arkansas educators are bound by seven standards of ethical conduct outlined by the state Department of Education.

The district's Certified Personnel Policy Committee looked over the proposal and the consensus of members was the policy was not necessary.

Board member Rebecca Powers said the proposed policy was offensive, given the parameters that already exist for certified personnel.

So is this localized effort to draft a moral code some kind of Holy Roller sort of thing, or is there some kind of conduct school board members are concerned about but just haven't been able to box an employee into a corner yet? Or does the school board simply like chasing imaginary rabbits?

Leas tried to shut down staff work on the proposal, but nobody supported his motion. School board members in general don't like to tell one of their own to shut up because next time, it might be them proposing an idea that lacks a lot of support. Board President Wendi Cheatham said she preferred to wait until Lightle and board member Willie Cowgur were in attendance before moving forward.

Bentonville schools have plenty of bigger concerns out there, so it might be perplexing that some school board members would venture into this unnecessary debate. But it's no real surprise.

It's the Bentonville School Board.

'Nuff said.