A Not-so-special meeting of the Ludington School Board

[XLFD]

Meetings of public bodies like school boards are required to follow the Open Meetings Act (OMA).  The OMA differentiates little between posting notices required for regularly scheduled meetings and special meetings, only noting that special meetings have notices posted at least 18 hours in advance of a meeting at their principle office and on a dedicated section of their website (if they have one).

The Ludington Area School District (LASD) Board has a special meeting this afternoon at 5:30 PM and they have properly posted the notice on their website, and presumably at their main office.

Yet, oddly enough, they have a regularly scheduled meeting going on a half-hour later with the same LASD BoardL

Unlike a 'Committee of the whole' meeting that the Ludington City Council sometimes runs before meetings, where the council can only discuss and not vote on issues of public policy, the LASD Board's special meetings have no such restraint:  they can and have voted on important issues at these special meetings in the past.

So ask yourself: why does a school board schedule a special meeting a half hour before its regular meeting?  The most reasonable answer is that they are trying to sneak something controversial past the regular attendees and/or public, something that would make more of a negative impact if brought up, discussed and voted on at a regular meeting happening right after. 

The on-line agenda for the special meeting indicates that it's only going to look at two reinstatement hearings of students, but it has came to my attention that other topics involving personnel moves will be considered this afternoon and will likely be added to the docket, they are not on the agenda for the evening's meeting. 

If my sources are accurate, they plan to create a new administrative position, a superintendent assistant, and staff it with an LASD principal, shuffling other positions around, and hiring someone to fit in any open chairs.  If this comes to pass, where will the money for creating the new position come from?  Why has the position been unnecessary in the past?

[shinblind]

Looks like they have a million and one reasons to give someone's brother-in-law a job. I believe they are going to be hard pressed to actually spend it all...but no doubt they will.

[XLFD]

More like a hundred and one million reasons, but it doesn't look like abject nepotism, more of a superintendent who claims to need extra help doing his regular work and overseeing the new elementary school construction.  There may be a point in having a principal or two step up and help with administrative tasks on a part-time basis for the $101 million renovations of the LASD; tonight they decided to not rush into getting a secondary administrator position due to concerns voiced by board members and unnamed others weighing in and urging more consideration.

[Willy]

This must have something to do with the glittering gold that the foolish taxpayers willingly agreed to part with and hand  over to lefty school officials. I think shinblind is right. Someone's kin , friends, or cronies are being given a seat at the pie eating contest. That school tax money is a very tempting pile of loot for some of our corrupt officials to pass up..

[XLFD]

'Twould be nice to use a large stack of cash as a throne, but let's consider some math in relation to potential future savings for taxpayers (if that's conceivable).  

The new elementary will accommodate those who currently go to four elementary schools:  PM, Lakeview, Franklin, and Foster.  Each of those currently have one administrator on scene, so even if the new elementary decides to have an assistant principal, a couple of administrative jobs should disappear, along with other office and administrative staff redundant in all four existing schools.  

A question I would like answered is how much staff, if any, will be cut in a couple of years (the new elementary is scheduled to open in fall 2021).  

[Willy]

It would also be nice for citizens not to look at any action taken by officials as suspicious. The problem is the long history of corrupt and questionable behavior by those in charge of local concerns. Just like the LASD promoting the 100 million dollar fiasco with tax payers money. Unless and until all official proceedings are transparent, above board and competed according to regulations, there will never be confidence in how things are done by local leaders, from the LASD to the County to City Government. So instead of thinking that everything is on the up and up, my first reaction is to think "what is really going on and who is benefiting ".

[Freedom Seeker]

Sad but true, Willy. You're not the only one affected by suspicion of government officials. Dems are trying to impeach Pres. Trump for actions that are similar to actions that have gone on in our city government for many years; that is, officials benefitting for personal gains against Charter law. They don't get it. They think they are serving the public, oh working so hard, when not only are they reaping one of the best salaries with benefits around, they seek more personal benefit through illegal and suspicious means and pass benefits to their friends who may pay back favors. Happens once, fool me, happens many times, fool yourself, eventually. The problem is, the city manager is easily sucked into the game of corruption to save his job, be "on the team" and back up his employees and those that decide his contract. I am hoping this manager can be above the corruption by being transparent and honest.