Board of Education Votes To Establish Administrative Consolidation Group

The controversy over a City Council resolution to establish a Consolidation of Administrative Services Oversight Board cooled Thursday after the Board of Education voted 6-1 to pass the recommendation.

The agenda item, submitted by board member Bill Morse, seeks to implement a resolution unanimously sent to the Board of Education by the City Council in their Feb. 7 meeting. The resolution declares that "the most effective way to control costs is through consolidation of administrative services" and that the city and Board of Education should form a joint board to take into consideration the recommendations in a 2003 consolidation study. The resolution states that the five-person board should consist of the superintendent, the city's chief executive, and a member appointed by them, as well as one non-voting member from both the city and the school administration.

The Board of Education accepted the resolution in a 4-3 vote at their March 10 meeting after board member Ronna Stuller motioned to add an item to adopt it. The vote followed unsuccessful attempts to table it and accept it pending legal review.

The item returned for additional discussion in a special meeting on March 17. Vice President Susan Connolly, the opposing member in Thursday's vote, said there were concerns with the legality of the vote and the question was being returned for a legal opinion. The four members who assented to the resolution on March 10—Morse and Stuller, along with Secretary Jason Catala and Barbara Morse— in protest of the question’s revival. These members said the item could not be brought back under Robert’s Rules of Order unless one of the assenting voters requested it, and charged that the dissenting voters were trying to overturn the vote.

City councilors, when asked last month about the Board of Education actions, expressed frustration. Councilor Wade Hsylop said he felt the delay was a result of "back room" agreements and commented, "Our elected officials are supposed to be making the policy, not our administrators."

"It was supposed to be on the agenda in March. I'm concerned about who's driving the bus," said Councilor Michael Passero. "I'm very frustrated we have to wait another month and we're being stymied. We have a long way to go. Everybody agreed in November to meet with our software people and two days before, the administration cancelled the meeting."

""There's been a lot of back and forth on the Board of Ed, but the decision requires board approval," said Councilor Adam Sprecace. "They need to settle their differences."

In a letter to the board's president, Alvin Kinsall, attorney Peter A. Janus wrote that he understood that the vote to add the resolution to the March 10 agenda was 4-3. He said that because the addition did not pass by a two-thirds vote, "the subsequent action by the Board of Education to adopt this resolution was null and void pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act." The Consolidated Services Ad Hoc Committee discussed the matter further on March 21 and voted 4-0 with Stuller abstaining to accept Janus's concerns, and the March 10 vote was deemed null and void.

Catala and Connolly exchanged heated remarks during discussion of the March 17 meeting minutes after Catala charged that they could be "fraudulent" due to the inclusion of Kinsall as the chairman. Kinsall was not present at the March 17 meeting. Connolly criticized the boycott of the meeting by the "gang of four" and said said their absence from that meeting precluded their comments on it. The new vote to accept the City Council's resolution, however, passed with no additional discussion.

City councilor quotes contributed by Jayne Keedle.