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South Putnam parents meet outside executive session
Frustrations have come out with regard to personnel matters at South Putnam. Part of this is a feeling that the South Putnam School Board has not been open with the school community.
A group of parents and students met at South Putnam High School Wednesday evening to picket an executive session the board was holding. The demonstration was peaceful as board members Wes Hacker, Hollie Hutcheson and Lisa Cooper entered the building.
An individual involved with the picket provided that the demonstration was a “presence” rather than a protest.
A notice of the executive session was sent out last week providing that the board was to, “receive information about, and interview prospective employees” according to the Indiana Code. As such, the advertisement was timely and followed meeting procedure.
One parent, who did not want to be named, told the Banner Graphic that the picket was not about the board holding the meeting in itself. Rather, it was about the concerns parents have had with the board on personnel issues.
“What we’re looking for is for our board to know that staff and parents are frustrated with the board’s involvement in hiring and firing of employees, and not backing hired administrators,” she said. “We’re looking for the board to halt any decision-making in the near future until the voices of community members, staff and students can be heard.”
A Change.org petition was started Thursday titled “South Putnam School Board ... Hear our voice!” It echoes the request to halt such decisions by the board.
The petition had more than 100 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.
The parent emphasized that the request was specific to replacing Anthony Heavin and Craig Newby on the board, as well as hiring a new superintendent.
Heavin and Newby resigned from the board after its regular meeting last week, in which they both cited “philosophical differences” between them and the other members.
The board considered “findings of fact” and “conclusions of law and order” for canceling Athletic Director Tom Starnes’ teaching contract. Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt told the Banner Graphic that Starnes was still in a three-year probationary period, and that these were not meant to prove any misconduct. Starnes has been at South Putnam since 2018.
A motion was made by Heavin to accept the findings, but it died for lack of a second.
Meanwhile, Bernhardt will be retiring at the end of June after 15 years as superintendent at South Putnam. The board has been in the process of searching for Bernhardt’s replacement since he announced his retirement last September.
Bernhardt told the Banner Graphic Thursday that he was part of the executive session and presented information on prospective employees himself. He also indicated that the meeting was not about the school board.
“They hear rumors out here about this person is leaving or this person is leaving, or this teacher’s doing this or that,” Bernhardt said. “I know that it’s difficult for the public to want to know what’s going on, but we can’t discuss certain issues with employment.
“I think it’s obvious that they were there for a reason,” he added. “It’s logical to me that they were unhappy with the decisions that were made.”
Bernhardt stated to the Banner Graphic that a hearing will be held on Tuesday, May 4 at 6 p.m. for public comments concerning the new superintendent’s contract. The contract can be viewed on the South Putnam Schools main website.
The board is set to adopt the contract at its next regular meeting on Wednesday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
Both meetings will take place in the South Putnam MS/HS Learning Center.