Lexington One Board Takes Action, But On What?

The Lexington District One School Board voted Tuesday in a special meeting to dismiss a teacher and hire two administrators.

But who is the teacher? Where does the teacher work? Members of the school board didn't say.

Who are the administrators? What are their jobs and where will they work? District personnel won't say.

The school board notified the media on Sunday that there would be a special meeting to discuss employment matters. The matters voted upon Tuesday apparently were too important to wait until the district's next regularly scheduled board meeting — next Tuesday, April 16.

The board went into executive session Tuesday to discuss the employment matters, which is allowed by the state's open government laws. And when they returned, they voted to take action.

A board member moved that the board "approve the recommendation of the administration to approve two administrative positions for the 2013–2014 school year." The motion was approved 6-0, with one member absent.

Another board member moved that the board "accept the superintendent’s recommendation that the contract of an annual teacher, employee A, not be renewed for the 2013–2014 school year." This motion was also approved 6-0. 

Both motions are attached to the story.

There was no public discussion on the employment matters.

The S.C. Freedom of Information Act says a public body, such as a school district, can go into executive session to discuss "employment, appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline, or release of an employee, a student, or a person regulated by a public body or the appointment of a person to a public body."

It also says no action can be taken in executive session, including polling members on how they will vote. 

But the law is not specific in how much detail must be included in motions brought up and voted upon.

Mary Beth Hill, the district's spokeswoman, said when administrators are brought on board from other school districts, Lexington One does not announce the hire until the other district "frees" the employee.

That's apparently why it took weeks between voting in December to hire an athletics director/ head football coach at River Bluff High School and announcing the move in January.

Scott Price, general counsel for the S.C. School Boards Association, said a school board doesn't want to identify a terminated employee by being too specific about the school they work or position they hold. 

But at the same time, he said: "(School board members) need to be specific enough that the public has a general understanding of what's going on behind closed doors."