Board president says now is not prudent time to change
By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times
Nicolina Sciarretta (from left), Johnna Morales, Gabrielle Hines, and Joshua Mensah stand before the audience as Principal Robert Fisher recognizes them as some of the top students in their class.
CALN – In a tied decision, the Coatesville Area School Board failed to pass a motion on Tuesday night that would have initiated a request for proposals to seek a replacement for Board Solicitor James Ellison.
Board Members Diane Brownfield, Deborah Thompson, Stu Deets, and Kim Mammel voted in favor of the RFP, while Jim Fox, Rick Ritter, Laurie Knecht, and Board President Neil Campbell voted against it. The newest board member, James Hills, abstained, saying that he would have to examine the board’s issues further before he felt comfortable making a decision.
Thompson, who made the motion, said that she was concerned about the district’s high legal fees. She said that an RFP would allow the district to examine competitive bids and possibly hire a solicitor on a yearly salary, rather than an hourly wage. She also said that Coatesville should look at surrounding districts to see how much they are paying in legal fees.
“I’m just asking us to entertain it,” she said. “Other school districts are dealing with like issues.”
Deets agreed, saying that an RFP would be a sound business decision. “This is not a judgment on Mr. Ellison’s performance; this is a business practice,” he said.
However, Campbell said that while he agrees that an RFP should be done in the future, the district should wait until Ellison is done handling its current legal matters. “I really feel that at this time that it is not prudent to do,” he said.
Campbell said that hiring a new solicitor would disrupt legal proceedings with the Graystone Academy. He also said that with some legal matters being near closure, Ellison’s fees should go down in the near future.
During public comment, a few residents agreed that the district should look into hiring a new solicitor, saying that the district should not pay such high legal fees while scholastic programs are being cut.
“I’m not saying, ‘Fire Mr. Ellison.’ I’m just saying, ‘Can you shop around a little bit?’” asked Linda Lavender Norris.
Before voting on regular agenda items took place on Tuesday night, CASH Principal Robert Fisher made a special presentation to the board, recognizing a few of the senior class’s top students.
Kelly Boulger, Avery Thompson, Morgan Flynn, Vincent Shickora, Nicolina Sciarretta, Johnna Morales, Gabrielle Hines, Joshua Mensah, Chasan Hall, and Paul Draper were recognized for their scholastic and extracurricular achievements.
Chasan Hall (left) and Paul Draper (right) hold up their certificates for being recognized by the National Merit Scholars program.
These students are all near the top of their class and have excelled in numerous clubs, sports, and activities outside of school. Morgan Flynn, a Meistersingers and Student Council member who could graduate having already earned 12 college credits, is also captain of the girls soccer team. Meistersingers Honor Soloist Gabrielle Hines is also captain of the cheerleading squad, class president, and a member of the Pennsylvania Regional Chorus. Student School Board Representative Paul Draper is at the top of his class, a member of numerous clubs, a Civil Air Patrol member, a volunteer at the City Gate homeless shelter, and an Eagle Scout. With the possibility of earning 27 college credits by the time he graduates, Draper plans on attending Princeton in the fall.
Hall and Draper were also recognized by the National Merit Scholars program for scoring in the top 5% nationwide on the PSATs.
During the vote on the night’s agenda items, Deets and Brownfield, both voted ‘no.’ Deets said that he agreed with and wanted to pass many of the items, but there were certain ones he disagreed with, though he would not specify which ones.
Hills abstained from voting on agenda items. He said that being new to the school board, he is not up to date on all of the issues. “I’m not up to speed on all these issues now. I’m going to get up to speed, and once I’m up to speed, then I will be voting on these issues, and then I can make comments,” he said.
He said that not attending previous meetings did not put him at a disadvantage. “If you’re not a board member, you’re not privileged to what’s actually going on,” said Hills.
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Board President Neil Campbell took an opportunity to “reintroduce himself.” He said that he is aware that the public has disagreed with many of his votes, but he feels that he is serving the school district’s best interests. “I clearly recognize that many in our community feel a discomfort level with myself and other members of this board. I also recognize that many of my casted votes are not that of the popular feeling,” he said.
But Campbell said he feels as though he is voting responsibly, saying that he does not vote on speculation. “I continue to uphold the oath that I took six and two years ago,” he said. “I will not symbolically cast my vote in order to appease a portion of the community that is misinformed. I vote in the best interest of the survival of this district and the taxpayers that pay the bills.”
Campbell said that prior to serving on the board, he, too, sometimes felt outraged by the district’s decisions, but being on the board has shown him the complexities of running a school district. “I, too, shook my head at times and voiced my opinion. Looking back, I now realize how wrong I was for feeling that way. I did not know how a school district truly operated, and I have learned a great deal over the past six years. Just like in your own personal work, family, or pleasure experiences, it’s not always how it appears to be,” he said.
He asked the public for time to work out issues, such as budget, contract, and building matters. He also called for the board to put aside differences in order to achieve their goals. “Don’t let what a few have done … tear down the entire district,” he said.
