Letter: School district raises questions

Beaufort County Board of Education, where is your leadership and governance?

How can the superintendent dare to make this statement: “Everything that I have done has been with the full knowledge and approval of the board”?

If true, the superintendent accepts no responsibility for his advocacies or the outcomes of his recommendations. One might surmise that the board is also “inadvertently” and “unintentionally” guilty of state ethics violations.

Dictionaries define those words to mean: without knowledge or intention; negligent; not deliberate or considered or planned; resulting from carelessness; happening by accident; not done with purpose or intent.

How does the superintendent, possessing full authority, manage a school district when declaring that he takes action without specific knowledge, intent or purpose? One conclusion is a lack in judgment and competence.

Further questions:

Does the board majority possess the same characteristics in judgment and competence?

Where is legal counsel to advise the board and the superintendent?

Where are the checks and balances to ensure compliance with laws?

Is it an unrealistic expectation that with all their educational background, training and experience, the district’s administration lacks the ability to keep the school board from violating ethics laws and avoid such disasters?

It’s stunning to see the highest levels of district oversight fail to comply with state ethics regulations. At this level of management, words such as “inadvertent” and “unintentional” are unacceptable.

This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Letter: School district raises questions."