Centre board revokes superintendent's authority
Executive session was
used to get background information; resolution is not a reprimand, Davis says
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
The Centre USD #397 Board of Education met in special session Aug. 27 to discuss actions taken by Superintendent Demitry Evancho.
The disputed actions revolved around Evancho's decision to allow newly hired bus driver Larry Cameron to take the bus assigned to him out of the school district to his home in Eastshore at Marion Reservoir.
Board members Clark Davis, Jesse Brunner, and Mark Heiser petitioned for the special meeting, claiming that Evancho was "clearly directed by the board that the bus was not to leave the district."
The petitioners also questioned the superintendent's decision to seek an alternate site to park the bus at Pilsen. They said it "would involve incurring ongoing expenses for rock and electrical service in a site that poses liability issues as well as potentially other expenses for snow removal, etc."
"While the board recognizes that he has the authority to make such expenditures without consulting the board," the petition said, "it would have been advisable to include the board in the decision-making process."
A third claim made by the three board members was that Evancho had "undermined, circumvented, or hindered the ability of Mr. Roy Houdyshell, the duly hired Transportation Director of Centre School District to perform the duties assigned to him by this board in accordance with board policy."
In a 4-3 vote, the board moved to go into executive session for 45 minutes. Jennifer Kassebaum, Julie Klenda, and Leona Hajek voted in opposition to but participated in the secret session.
Davis made the motion, stating that a KASB attorney recommended an executive session. President Leona Hajek said another KASB attorney told her it was up to the board to decide.
She questioned Superintendent Evancho about the need for an executive session and he said he had no reason to hide anything. Cameron and Houdyshell were not questioned as to how they felt about it.
Evancho was included in the executive session that followed.
After the 45 minutes ended, the board voted 7-0 to extend the executive session with Evancho for another 45 minutes. Houdyshell and Cameron were included as needed.
When the board returned to open session, Evancho left the meeting and Davis presented a resolution which revoked the superintendent's action allowing the bus to be taken out of the district and ruled the bus be left at the transportation building, to be picked up and dropped off there.
Kassebaum questioned Davis as to why he believed the issue needed to be discussed in executive session.
He didn't give a direct answer. In a subsequent vote, the resolution passed 6-0. Leona Hajek abstained.
Davis then went on to declare that the resolution made the matter of an alternate site mute. In addition, "any conflict between the transportation director and Evancho has been resolved," he said.
Davis said the controversy came about because of Evancho's action despite a clear directive at a June meeting against such action. He said past drivers who lived out of district had to park their buses at the transportation barn.
He justified the executive session as a means of getting background information.
The resolution is in no way to be construed as a reprimand, Davis emphasized.
Davis' explanation led Kassebaum to change her mind.
"In light of Clark's explanation, I am changing my vote to 'no,'" Kassebaum said, making the final vote 5-1.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m.
Also in attendance at the meeting were former board member Terry Vinduska, teacher Cary Granzow, former transportation director Tom Leihy, and Pat Evancho, the superintendent's wife.
Granzow said he was there to support a friend and because he was concerned about the district. Leihy and Vinduska concurred on the latter. Vinduska said a united and supportive board is important to maintaining a small school district.
Ronnie Carlson, who was board president in June, said he remembers discussing the issue of taking a bus out of the district but he doesn't recall Evancho being given a directive.
The approved minutes of the June 30 meeting (in which Cameron was hired) do not record any official action in that regard.
