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 Candidate questions Fox Creek election process, school’s “insolvency” web posted July 1, 2009 MERRIWETHER – Susie Stewart, a disenfranchised candidate for the Board of Directors for the Fox Creek Charter High School, has filed a letter with the school board threatening legal action if the elections she says were conducted improperly are not rectified. On Monday night she addressed the school board in an open meeting and expanded her concerns about the problems at the charter school, including the “insolvency” of the school's finances. “The matters that have captured my attention are the constant erosion of our financial well-being. At a December Board of Director’s meeting, our liabilities of $560,483 versus assets of $240,345 issue was raised and that caused great concern, especially in the light that we are in the midst of budget cuts that range from 4% to 7%,” Mrs. Stewart said to the panel. “Adding to this concern was our accountant’s ending figures as of May 31,” Stewart said, adding that it left the school with a deficit of over $168,000 of the $2 million budget. Mrs. Stewart said, “The outgoing treasurer was (at the meeting) to reassure everyone present that we are solvent with a report reflecting a sudden $101K in our reserves. They did not address the shortage exceeding $168K and we were not allowed to ask any questions.” After the poignant reminder Stewart continued, “And (given) the knowledge that our monthly housing expense will go from $8,000 a month to $25,000. These are items of interest that deserve to be clarified and corrected.” Expected loan payments for the new school building will top $300,000 in the current fiscal year, which under current financial figures would have left a net loss for the school nearing half a million dollars. That amount was challenged saying that under current outlays the mobile buildings were included which brought the figure closer to $16,000 a month. Mrs. Stewart said after the meeting that she would wait until the school produced the records before conceding the numbers. However, in spite of which numbers the accounting is done, the school would still fall short and would be hard pressed to produce the revenues sufficient to support the new school. Other issues she felt were not being addressed by the current school board are the lack of textbooks, proper instruction and lab time, and excessive travel by Principal Dr. Tim Murph - who was on his second school paid trip to California this year. The latest trip is not reflected in available numbers. Mrs. Stewart stated that through March of this fiscal year Dr. Murph racked up $6,918.87 in travel expenses, Coach Schneider accounted for another $2,474.91, plus another $4,135.86 spent at the Sea Watch Resort. Mrs. Stewart discussed the shortage of textbooks, with over 30 books being short in English classes alone. After the meeting Mrs. Stewart said the fact that their daughter completed a full year in chemistry, “devoid of even 10 minutes in a lab or virtual lab is appalling. She will begin college next year with absolutely no lab experience.” Mrs. Stewart continued her concerns with the school board saying, “A final point I have raised and which merits our attention is our excessive teacher turnover rate, as reported on our state report cards. Continuing teachers in 2007-2008 was 25.0%, down from 42.1%. -Schools like ours and the median were both 69.6%. In 2006-2007 (Fox Creek) had 42.1% - schools like ours were 76.0%, and the median was 73.0%. I’m not sure how we’re faring for the 2008-2009 year but I know at least the band director, special education teacher, a math teacher and three science teachers are not returning,” Stewart said. Mrs. Stewart said Chairwoman Sherolyn Bishop and the board refused to answer any questions. Another parent commented on the disrespectful way in which Mrs. Stewart and others at the meeting were treated by Mrs. Bishop. Mrs. Stewart was “cut off” and unable to finish presenting her concerns to the board. She intended to turn the attention back to the improperly conducted elections. “My attorney wrote (them) by letter dated May 19th and to date neither he nor I have gotten a single response.” Stewart said had the School Board addressed the matter immediately, as she deemed appropriate, they could have held another election with a fair turnaround and fair promotion. "However, now that 25% of the voting base (senior families) has vacated, a new election could not even be conducted fairly". “The only mutually acceptable solution to this problem would be for (Fox Creek) to install every candidate that ran for the board and begin next year with a panel of 12”, Stewart said adding that many of the parents at the meeting were denied their right to vote because they did not even know about the election. According to Mrs. Stewart, the Bylaws state the school board could accommodate 12 members. “The ballot of candidates is always distributed electronically two weeks early but was not even provided to the communications committee until the day before elections,” Mrs. Stewart said, which is the basis of her challenge of the election. © Copyright 2009
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