The Madison County School Board gathered together on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Reggie Daniels took to the podium for the first public comment, informing the board of the “unethical” conduct of Dr. Willie Miles, principal of Madison County Central School. Miles has served as principal of MCCS for 10 years, but according to Daniels and several others, he has maintained a hostile working environment, displaying condescending and demeaning behavior, often using an “abusive attitude” towards parents, volunteers and even school staff. Daniels added that Miles has used profanity on school grounds and insulted others while they weren't present; he also informed the board that Miles has made embarrassing comments about his “subordinates” and has even resulted to finger-pointing and face-to-face yelling, often “bringing staff to tears.” Miles has allegedly been described as “embarrassing, abusive and career-altering” by some of his staff. Daniels stated that, while he has not personally witnessed these actions, he is confident that the board will find the information accurate. According to Daniels, there has been a total of 15 complaints about Miles, not including the ones received by the superintendent. “One complaint is one too many,” said Daniels.
Superintendent Doug Brown informed the board and the audience that there will be an independent investigation on this matter and he is taking it very seriously.
Next, a representative from Nu Omega Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. asked the board on behalf of the American Heart Association to participate in the awareness campaign “National Wear Red Day” on Friday, Feb. 5 as a symbol of support for women's heart health.
The first item up for discussion was staff trips. All four staff trips were approved by the board, along with the one student trip for all gifted students in the Madison County school district to attend the medieval fair in Gainesville on Friday, Feb. 5.
Brown told the board next that there were two transfer requests. The first one regarded a parent requesting that their child transfer from MCCS to Lee Elementary, as the parent felt their child performed better at Lee. The student is in the third grade. Brown recommended that the board deny this request, as there was no room in any third grade class for an extra student. The board unanimously voted to deny the transfer.
The second transfer request regarded a parent requesting that their child transfer from Lowndes County to Madison; the parent requested the transfer because their child, who is in the seventh grade, is having issues with credit repair; however, Brown informed the board that there was no paperwork received by Lowndes County, so this transfer was not voted on.
Next, the board approved the request to advertise procedures and policies for ESE students for the next 30 days before the public hearing. The board also discussed the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) contract for Florida Virtual School (FLVS), which states that students who wish to take online classes must take them with PAEC instead of FLVS. The board sattended a workshop on Monday, Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in order to get a better idea of the program.
Brown then asked the board for permission to auction off the portables at MCHS, as the construction is relatively complete. He asked the board to guide the district on what method of disposal they would prefer. The board discussed setting days for auction on a monthly basis while setting a clear price for the portables.
Willie Williams took the floor and asked the board to approve the screened school volunteers, personnel changes and advertisement of non-instructional positions. The board approved all of these requests, 5-0.
Brown then moved on to construction project updates and superintendent items, stating that the construction at MCHS has been moving along fairly well. He also announced that the Teacher of the Year banquet will be held on Thursday, Feb. 4 at the new cafeteria of MCHS at 6:30 p.m. Brown also brought up the subject of the LES school zone controversy, stating that he spoke to state representatives and the Department of Education, but the issue is out of his hands.
Brown also announced that he would not be running for superintendent in November.
Town Attorney Tom Reeves concluded the meeting by informing the board that they must make a decision about the charter school, as the Charter School Appeal Commission (CSAC) held an appeal. On behalf of the district, Reeves stated that he argued pretty aggressively but CSAC voted unanimously against the district. Reeves also mentioned that there was a fair amount of time spent arguing about the demographics of the charter school. The board had two options: to move forward with the appeal or forego the appeal and choose to negotiate with the charter. The board voted not to go forward, as there has been too many legal fees and it is a tough battle to face against the charter. “I do not think we would prevail,” said Karen Pickles. The board voted to forego the appeal and enter charter negotiations, 4-1.
To conclude the meeting, VeEtta Hagan, Chair, announced that Adrian Kinsey of MCCS submitted a letter to the board, along with photos, stating that Dustin Rucker locked a lot of doors on campus, ultimately preventing children from entering and exiting. This issue was added to the investigation.
The next school board meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.