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Board schedules special meeting on superintendent search, moves to executive session after public calls for legislative audit
Summary
Following public comments urging a legislative audit into alleged maintenance‑department misconduct, the Conway School District board moved into executive session to discuss personnel and agreed to a public special meeting Aug. 26 to begin the superintendent search timeline.
Public speakers at the Conway School District meeting urged the board to request a legislative audit and to move quickly on hiring a permanent superintendent; the board then discussed both matters in executive session and scheduled a public special meeting on Aug. 26 to begin the search process.
During public comment, patron Floyd Ballantyne urged the board to post the superintendent vacancy immediately and to consider using local staff and a committee rather than paying a consulting firm. Another patron, Jimmy Kevin, urged a legislative audit into alleged maintenance‑department misuse of district funds and asked the board to empower then‑board president Dave Naylor to request that the district’s state senator and representative ask the legislative audit committee to open an audit.
Legal and procedural responses: General counsel Shasta Wagner told the board she had notified the Arkansas Legislative Audit division of the public allegations, as required, and that if legislative audit elected to proceed it would contact the district for records and next steps. Wagner and board members said personnel and investigatory matters required executive session for discussion; the board moved into executive session and later returned to public session.
Superintendent search: Board member Jack Leach (identified in meeting as experienced in superintendent searches) recommended the board set a special public meeting to develop search criteria and a timeline. The board set a special meeting for Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss and establish the search process publicly.
Why it matters: Public commenters framed the audit request as a transparency and accountability issue; counsel and the board emphasized that some investigatory details are handled through executive session and through appropriate external bodies (legislative audit, prosecuting attorney) and that any formal audit steps would be coordinated with those agencies.
Next steps: Legislative Audit has been notified and will advise if it needs district materials; the board will hold a public special meeting on Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. to develop the hiring/search process for a superintendent. The board said it intends to be transparent about what it can disclose following any executive session deliberations.
