PINE BLUFF -- The Dollarway School Board has fired Superintendent Bobby Acklin because he failed to improve the district's struggling academic and financial situations, the board secretary said Wednesday.
Acklin was appointed to lead the district in June 2013 by the state Board of Education after the previous Dollarway School Board was dissolved by a state takeover for poor academic performance.
The state handed over the district to a new board last summer, and board Secretary Gene Stewart said he and some other members wanted a leader "who can take us in a new direction."
Stewart was one of four board members voting Tuesday night to fire Acklin. Two voted against the firing, and one member was absent from the meeting, Stewart said.
The board also approved hiring Patsy Hughey, current director of federal programs at the Dollarway School District, as interim superintendent.
Hughey will be paid $10,000 a month, Stewart said. Acklin, whose contract was set to expire this year, will receive 30 days of severance pay, Stewart said. Acklin earned $150,000 annually, along with other benefits.
Acklin said Wednesday afternoon that he felt he was fired because he refused to terminate a district employee, although he declined to discuss specifics. Acklin said he has no plans to appeal.
"I will not fire anyone who doesn't deserve to be fired," Acklin said. "It's unethical to me, and I just won't do it. Right now, I am just focusing on finding another job. I always did the best job I could for the people of Dollarway, and I am proud of that."
Hughey said Wednesday that she is focusing on "moving the district forward" and "doing all we can to make Dollarway the best school it can possibly be." Hughey said she plans to send a letter to parents this week outlining her goals.
"We just want our parents to know that their children are our priority," Hughey said.
Stewart said he and other board members will discuss hiring a new superintendent at a meeting later this week or early next week. He said the goal will be to find someone who can "take us in a direction to get good test results and get our money situation squared away."
"Our district has not made significant strides in addressing these issues, and we need someone who is aggressive to take them on," he said.
Acklin's firing comes just a week after the Pine Bluff School Board voted to fire Superintendent Linda Watson and appoint T.C. Wallace Jr. of Tennessee as the district's interim leader. The board hasn't given a public reason for the firing, and Watson can appeal the decision.
Reaction from parents about Acklin's termination was mixed Wednesday afternoon.
Terry Smith, whose daughter attends 11th grade at Dollarway High School, said he understands the board's position but would have liked to see Acklin "have more time to deal with the problems we have. There are a lot of issues at Dollarway, and I think [Acklin] was probably doing his best. I am not sure who can come in and do any better."
Parent Hillary Swanson said she agreed with the board that it was time for Acklin to go.
"When you are in charge, you have to show some improvements, and I haven't really seen much of any around here," said Swanson, whose son attends 11th grade at Dollarway High School. "It may take a miracle for this district to get back on track right now."
State Desk on 04/16/2015