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Board rejects Wilmington Learning Collaborative recommendations for Bayard, Pritchett principals
Summary
The board voted 3‑2‑1 against accepting the Wilmington Learning Collaborative's (WLC) recommended principals for the Bayard School and Maurice Pritchett Senior Academy, a motion that divided the board and prompted questions about the WLC process and the district's role under the MOU.
The Christina School District Board of Education voted on May 6 on whether to accept the Wilmington Learning Collaborative’s recommendations for principals at Bayard School and Maurice Pritchett Senior Academy and the motion failed, 3‑2‑1.
The WLC recommendation was read into the record by Ladonis Hernandez, the district’s supervisor of human resources, and the motion to accept the WLC’s candidates was made by board member Alethea Smith Tucker and seconded by Donald Patton. After public and board discussion — including comments that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the WLC requires board approval of candidates unless there is cause — the roll call vote recorded three ayes, two nays and one abstention, and supporters said the WLC followed the agreed process.
Opponents said they had concerns about candidate qualifications and the stability those particular hires would bring to Bayard and Bancroft; some board members said those concerns had been raised in executive session and were serious enough to prompt a no vote. Several board members and parents urged clarity on whether the district administration recommended the hires; board members who supported the motion pointed to the MOU’s language and the WLC’s selection process.
President Donald Patton read the vote totals after the roll call: a tally of 3‑2‑1 left the motion short of the four votes some board members said were necessary to override reservations, and the recommendation therefore failed. Board discussion during and after the vote included repeated references to the signed MOU and to the WLC’s role in recommending candidates; some board members said they would like greater transparency and direct presentation by WLC leadership for future recommendations.
No new candidate was named at the meeting. Board members and staff said the district will remain bound by the MOU process for WLC recommendations unless the board takes a separate vote to change that arrangement.
