CCSC board appoints Hinton as new member

Thursday, July 5, 2018
Cloverdale school board president Vivian Whitaker congratulates new board member Arvel “Boo” Hinton Jr. on his appointment. On Monday, board members chose Hinton as the new member from Jennings Township, Owen County, to replace Daniel Hofmann.
Banner Graphic/Brand Selvia

Accented by laughter and a calm eagerness, the Cloverdale Community Schools Board of Trustees filled a much-needed position among its body Monday evening.

The board enthusiastically appointed Arvel Hinton Jr. to represent Jennings Township, after a half-hour interview session marked by candid one-on-one interaction.

He will succeed Daniel Hofmann, who recently resigned from his post on the board.

Known as “Boo” by family and friends, Hinton, 51, shared various perspectives with the board about being honest and having a consensus.

Board president Vivian Whitaker began with a comment that underscored her respect for Hinton and his family.

“I’m an admirer of your mother and father,” Whitaker beamed, emphasizing how the people are intertwined in the small community.

After Whitaker inquired about his intent to put in for the position, Hinton stated that he had been looking to be on the board for some time.

“I’m looking for common sense and leadership,” Hinton said, as he also detailed his previous bid to represent Jennings Township.

Hinton delved further into the idea of having a direction as he talked about his experience serving in fire rescue.

Board secretary Donna Fidler applied that notion to the board’s own conduct.

“We have a good camaraderie here and a good consensus,” Fidler said.

That theme would persist in the conversations between the board and Hinton.

Board member Duane Huge then asked Hinton if he could work with the time commitment demanded of the board.

Hinton acknowledged that conflicts would exist, but that he would commit to the position.

“I’ll make the meetings, and I am flexible, but family comes first,” he said.

Board member Joe Mann next asked how Hinton would interact with parents, especially as his own children are taught in the Cloverdale school system.

Hinton provided an interesting answer.

“I tell the girls that with each action, there’s either a punishment or a reward,” he said.

“And that can come in the short run or the long run,” stating that he believed confrontation was not the answer.

Whitaker backed Hinton up on this sentiment.

“We as a board strive to be non-confrontational with issues and protocols,” she said.

In her question to Hinton, board member Katrina Lewis asked what he thought was the biggest problem the board faced.

Hinton said that finances are the greatest challenge, but that he expected to learn more about what they entail.

Lewis also provided that declining enrollment and adhering to state mandates were pervading issues.

Nearing the end of the interview, Hinton stated that he would bring reputation, civility and honesty to the board.

“It’s nice to have calm waters, but it’s also nice to have some ripples,” he said.

In response to a question by Hinton about voting, Whitaker again emphasized the need for vigorous discussion.

“We work it out on decisions,” Whitaker said.

“And we help each other get through the process.”

To add to this, Mann provided that there are rare cases where the board has not been unanimous.

But he also provided that disagreements have not interfered with their cohesiveness.

Hinton further spoke on the importance of cohesion as he detailed his experience being on a jury.

He remembered that one juror stubbornly resisted to rule with the rest, and could not provide a reason for his position.

“I asked him to give us a good reason for why we should rule with him, which he did not,” Hinton explained.

“You have to have a good reason why you vote one way.”

The room came back around to address a minor disorder in the agenda, before Hinton was unanimously approved and sworn in as a board member.

He will begin this term as a board member on July 9.

However, Hinton will have to register to run for the position in November because of upcoming board elections.

The CCSC Board of Trustees will hold its monthly meeting next Monday at 7 p.m. in the Arthur C. Johnson Administration Building in Cloverdale.

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