By Michael Howell
The Stevensville School Board held a special board meeting on 48 hour notice last week to address the complaints in a letter that was delivered at the last board meeting by Lori and Jim Rokosch. After discussing a variety of options for responding to the complaints, in the end the board decided to hold a series of community meetings where issues could be openly discussed.
In the letter, the Rokosches had registered strong complaint about what they called the “toxic environment” at the school. The letter included complaints about specific incidences and lots of questions about related school policy.
Lori Rokosch was the first to speak at the meeting and began by admonishing them for the short 48-hour notice for the meeting. Then she stated that the closure of the last board meeting during the public comment period was unwarranted and unlawful. She quoted the law to them. She reiterated some of the concerns expressed in her earlier letter and presented each board member with copies of newly hired head volleyball coach Erin O’Reilly’s DUI convictions and asked the board to rescind its decision to hire O’Reilly as the volleyball coach.
Board chair Cathi Cook said that the purpose of the meeting was to respond to the letter that had been submitted. But then she began discussing the issue of a rumor, without explicitly stating what the rumor was about. She said the district had a policy that included an administrative complaint procedure, but that they had not received any formal complaints through that process. She said, without a formal complaint, “We are still in the rumor stage. It’s been floating around the district for two years. We want to see if it merits investigation.” She said such an investigation could cost from $3,000 to $5,000, but it would be to investigate a rumor because nobody has come forward with any solid information or formal complaint.
Trustee Tim Schreiber said that he had heard the rumor for two years now but nothing tangible was ever presented. “I’ve discussed it with Dave [Whitesell]. He said, ‘No way’. He said he had nothing to hide.” Schreiber expressed reticence to spend money that would otherwise go to the students on an investigation into unsubstantiated rumors.
Superintendent Dave Whitesell expressed discomfort with being singled out when the complaints in the letter were about “administration.”
Trustee Greg Trangmoe said that if an investigation was done it would be about the “climate issue” in the school, the allegations of a “toxic atmosphere.”
“There are things being said that are affecting the district,” said Trangmoe. “I would support an investigation at this point to get us to the facts. We may even find the source of the rumors.”
Trustee Penny Bertram said that she thought there was a “bigger umbrella” of interelated problems that could benefit from some kind of mediated or facilitated dialogue between the board and the parents.
“Dispelling one rumor is not going to resolve things,” she said. “A legal investigation may not be the only option.”
Trustee Roger Bardsley said that he believed things should go through the district’s established complaint procedure. He questioned calling in a lawyer when there was no formal complaint.
“How do we call in someone to investigate rumors?” said Bardsley.
Trustee Dawn Shinn said she agreed but that there was a flip side. She said kids have fear of repercussions if they come forward about things. “But these things need to be addressed,” she said.
Trangmoe said that an investigation and a conversation with the community could both take place.
Whitesell said that he supported an investigation into the rumors about himself.
“I want somebody lit up for it. I want an investigation. I want Lori [Rokosch] to be the first one interviewed,” said Whitesell.
A long dialogue between the board and the public in attendance then ensued. It covered the gamut of concerns under consideration and even included discussion about how the board might properly and legally go about having discussions with the public rather than simply hearing comment.
It was generally agreed, after much discussion, that High School Principal Brian Gum would resurrect the Parent & Community Night meetings that were once held regularly at the school and the entire Board of Trustees could attend as well as parents and students. The first meeting is scheduled for February 19 at 6 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at the school.
“It’s a place where anyone can express their concerns, bring up their problems and work as a group towards solutions,” said Gum.